Orange's Will
by Yuuki0hime
Summary: FemNaru, Time Travel. As Naruto is about to see Tobi's face, she's caught in a seal. Jutsus clash and the Rikkudo Sennin shows up... What! Back to the past? No way! Screw destiny and rules. Tobi's messed with the wrong ninja! Here comes Konoha's Orange Hokage! "Poll's Open"
1. Pilot

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! Reading different fanfictions for Naruto time travels piqued my interest, so I took a shot to write one with a female Naruto. If you have any advices to improve my story, please, I BEG of you. I really need to improve my writing skills: grammar, story tenses (like all present tense or past tense), vocabulary expansion. And if anyone could spare time to help me write fighting scenes, that is a HUGE bonus. I don't think I could even write a sparring scene. :P**

**Thank you!**

**p.s.**

**If any of you know any good Naruto time travel fics, let me know please! Funny crossovers are welcome, too! I loved reading the one called "Identity Theft is a Serious Problem".**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

"Show me your face!" Naruto roared, **Rasengan** grinding against Tobi's mask.

Undeterred, Tobi shouted, "You should stop underestimating me! I still have aces up my sleeves!" Making a pair of unfamiliar handsigns, a large sealing array appeared, surrounding Naruto.

"W-what?" Naruto stuttered. She couldn't move at all. But what freaked her out the most was how the arrays didn't look like anything she'd ever seen before. As Jiraiya's apprentice, Naruto had taken a crash-course dive into **Fuinjutsu**. Jiraiya would randomly attack her with different seals during their training trip, making her try and figure out how to escape on her own. Naruto could tell what a normal freezing tag looked like, and what Tobi used was not it. Mind filled with dread, Naruto glared hatefully at Tobi and hissed, "What did you do?"

"Oh, ho. Do you not like it? It was made just for Jinchuriki like you," Tobi jeered.

"Naruto! This looks like a trap array made to contain bijuu chakra!" Kurama warned.

'Damn it! Do you know if we can get out, Kurama?' Naruto thought in panic.

"Hmph! Don't insult my intelligence, you stupid prime-ape," Kurama snapped back. "Although, with my knowledge, I can only see three ways to break out. First is to get outside help to disrupt one of the array circles; just physically erasing the marks won't work. Tobi used a space-time jutsu to 'bring forth' the arrays with his chakra. So, someone else would have to use their chakra and disrupt the 'flow' of Tobi's chakra in the arrays. Kind of like overriding my chakra from yours. Second, find the counter-hand seals to the jutsu and override Tobi's chakra 'control'. But seeing as he used one of the Rikkudo Sennin's handsigns, the fox, with a space-time one, we would have to do the opposite."

'Opposite?' Naruto wondered.

"Yeah. Like many things in the world, each handsign has a weakness, but the old geezer didn't finish his collection of handsigns, so I don't know how to cancel the 'fox'. Sorry," Kurama explained.

'We don't have time to make up one either. Shit! Is there another way, 'ttebayo?' Naruto probed.

Kurama chuckled, and replied, "Well, you'll probably like this method the best."

'What method?' Naruto asked.

The giant fox grinned ferally, showing off his large teeth, and stated, "Overload the array with a huge surge of sen-chakra instead of normal chakra, thus 'overfilling' the seal."

'But won't that drain me?' Naruto thought.

"You idiot! What am I, chopped liver? Don't forget that I'll refill your coils! We made a deal, right… Partner?" Kurama roared with a grin.

Chuckling, Naruto left the bijuu mode to gather sen-chakra, and replied, 'Yeah. Partner.'

Eyes turning to that of a toad's, Naruto gave a war cry and started to overload Tobi's seal.

"You bitch! As if I'd let you!" Tobi yelled. He made another set of handsigns, ones Kurama was familiar with.

'Not good!' Kurama thought. Seeing no other choice, Kurama used his chakra the block Tobi's other technique. Suddenly, the bijuu-trap glowed an unearthly white color and everything else went white as well.

* * *

**So... how was this pilot?**


	2. Rikkudo Sennin

**A.N. **

**I forgot to mention this in the last chapter but the Rikkudo Sennin's handseal collection is of course fake, but for the story's sake, I'd like opinions to what animals I should use for when Naruto has to learn them. Hey, what do you think cancels foxes?**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

An invisible force propelled Naruto's body through some white existence.

Naruto opened her eyes and looked around, exclaiming in a loud voice, "NANI!" Shaking her head, thinking this was all an illusion, tried gathering her chakra to dispel the 'genjutsu'.

"Oi, stop that. You're just wasting your chakra," a mysterious voice cut in.

Turning to her left, Naruto met the sight of an elderly man with a staff. 'He looks kinda familiar, 'ttebayo,' Naruto thought. Out loud, Naruto asked, "Hey, who're you, 'ttebayo?"

" **'ttebayo**? You have the same verbal tick of one of my sons," the stranger said, chuckling. "It seems that my descendant is as rowdy as my son was," he continued with a nostalgic smile.

"Son? Descendant?" Naruto wondered out loud.

"Baka. He's the Rikkudo Sennin," Kurama's voice provided.

Whipping her head to the voice's direction, Naruto's eyes went wide, almost bulging and shouted, "Kurama! I thought were still inside me! And what's more… you're really shorter than before. Is this your real size? I swear you were really huge before. Maybe it was just me being the short one?"

"Shut up! I don't know why I'm this small!" an Akamaru-size Kurama roared, tails twitching in irritation.

Ignoring Kurama's outburst, Naruto continued on, "Matte! Rikkudo Sennin? Then… No way! But he's dead! Does that mean I'm dead too?" The poor girl started ranting on in dismay, exclaiming things like 'I can't be dead!', 'I have to beat Tobi!', 'I'll never taste ramen again!', and finally… 'I'm too young to die!'.

Annoyed, Kurama bit Naruto on the leg, earning a huge "Ow!" in return.

The Rikkudo Sennin looked amused, before taking on a somber look. "Naruto, you aren't dead. This is a dimension, a barrier, between universes and time. I came here to guide you back to the past."

Naruto shouted, "What! Why 'ttebayo? I can't leave everyone, and the war-" but the sage interrupted her, "Naruto! Calm down! This isn't the end. I understand how you feel, but if you didn't have a destiny to fulfill, you wouldn't be needed in the past."

Naruto's posture deflated and she scowled, before asking, "Destiny in the past? I thought I was just fighting for peace?"

The sage nodded, explaining, "Don't misunderstand, you are the Child of the Prophecy. However, you need to also understand that Tobi is already stronger than any other opponent you and the world have ever met, since the Juubi. With how Tobi utilizes the dead, and little allies you have, the Shinobi Alliance would most likely fail."

Enraged, Naruto was about to retort angrily, but the sage held a hand up. He continued, "And because of such odds, you will go back in time to _save_ potential allies you've lost to death. Those new allies will help you in fighting your war again. I can trust you with this task, right?"

"Of course, 'ttebayo! No worries, Old Man! Konoha's Future, Orange Hokage can do anything! I don't go back on my promises, that's my nindo!" Naruto declared with a passionate flare.

The sage smiled and added, "However, two Kuramas can't exist at the same time. He will go back into your mother's seal, but his conscience may come and go between you two."

"No sweat, Old Man!" Naruto cheered.

"Oi! Listen to the end!" the sage yelled in annoyance. He'd never thought that a descendant of his could be so energetic. Coughing into a fist, the sage went on, "The first person you need to save is Hatake, Sakumo. You know who that is, right?"

Nodding her head, Naruto remembered what Kakashi-sensei used to tell her about his childhood.

The Rikkudo Sennin smiled, raised his hand, and another invisible force pulled Naruto in another direction. The last thing she heard was a soft, "Good luck," before the darkness consumed her.

* * *

**Man, I don't know how writers can write so much dialogue. They throw me off sometimes.**


	3. Jiji

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

Light rays peeked through the cracks of Naruto's eye lids. Opening her eyes, slowly, the girl's vision revealed a blurry sight of a white ceiling. Feeling soft padding underneath her, Naruto figured that she was in a hospital, noisy moniters giving the mystery away. She sat up straight on the bed and looked out a window on her right. Naruto's eyes widened, seeing Konoha- a crater-free Konoha. Moving her gaze to the Hokage Mountain, she could only see the first three Hokages.

A light click was heard and a painfully familiar voice broke the peace, "You're awake. We didn't know how long you'd be asleep. The ANBU found you in a training ground, unconscious. Besides a few scrapes, there were no major injuries for the medics the find."

Slowly, Naruto turned her head to the voice, and tears filled up her eyes. "Jiji," she whispered. Silent teardrops fell from her eyes, and the Sandaime looked on in surprise when Naruto started laughing through her tears.

"Is there something wrong?" the puzzled Hokage asked.

Naruto softly shook her head, answering with a relieved smile, "Iya… I'm just glad to see you again, Jiji."

The Sandaime's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and said, "I do not understand why you would be glad to see me, _again_, and I'm not sure that I'm that old to be called an 'old man'."

Naruto laughed and stated, "You'll always be my and Konoha's Jiji, dattebayo."

"**Dattebayo**? You sound like a girl I know, but look like a female version of the Yellow Flash. Do you know how… intriguing that is?" the acknowledged Sarutobi probed.

Naruto let a wide smile she used to grace her jiji with and said, "I have a long story, Jiji. You won't believe me without proof, but listen to the end, okay?"

And so, Naruto poured out her life story to her beloved grandfather-figure. From the moment of her birth to the meeting with the Rikkudo Sennin, Naruto talked with a new vigor.

* * *

Perhaps, a few hours had passed, the sky turning a salmon-pink color. Sarutobi had many questions, but decided to put them off for the next day. He watched Minato and Kushina's future daughter as she looked out towards the bustling village. He didn't want to believe her story. Time travel was not impossible, but the future sounded unsettling and painful. The famed 'Professor' could also not deny that Naruto knew things that not many should know. Unless she was Hokage, or directly related to the issue, the knowledge about the Kyuubi and Kushina's relation to the First Hokage's wife shouldn't have been available. Also... **Four** shinobi wars. It was upsetting, and his heart went out to Naruto, since she had to carry many burdens as a child.

Naruto broke his reverie and asked, "Ne, Jiji. Is Hatake Sakumo still alive?"

Glancing at Naruto before taking a long drag from his pipe, Sarutobi answered with resignation, "Yes, he's still alive, but the disgrace you mentioned has come to pass."

Naruto's eyes revealed an understanding glint and declared, "I need to see him. The Rikkudo-jiji said I should save Sakumo-san. Besides, I'm sure Kakashi-sensei would like to keep his father this time."

Sarutobi hmmed and replied, "Perhaps tomorrow. From what you told me, Sakumo will not commit suicide for a while. I do not wish to lose Sakumo. Sometimes, it seems that the village is just too cruel."

Naruto smiled a bitter-sweet smile and added, "Ah… I know that very well."

Saruto looked regretful and apologized in a sad tone, " I don't know what to say to show how sorry I am for your misfortunes, Naruto."

The girl shook her head and replied softly, "It's okay. It was hard when I was younger, but I love Konoha and its people. I understood their fears and hate,so I forgave them a long time ago."

This time, she promised, she'd definitely save Konoha. Tobi messed with the wrong ninja.

* * *

**Phew! It's hard typing for a long time.**

**I guess this was fine. Does anyone want to contribute some humorous ideas for when Naruto and Jiraiya meet? Or when Minato goes overprotective-daddy mode?**


	4. Framing EroSennin

**AN:**

**Ugh. I can't think up animals to use in the 'Rikkudo Sennin's collection'. All I got was the 'seal' animal, but don't know what element to align it with.**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

It seemed like after another day's rest brought back the energy Naruto was known for. Although, Sarutobi couldn't understand how his future-self could stay relatively sane with a child with limitless energy. If Naruto could, she'd probably bounce off the walls like a speedy, rubber ball.

While Sarutobi sat in a chair and smoked his pipe, Naruto took advantage of the hospital bathroom. Taking a long shower, Naruto thought, 'First is a ramen breakfast!' The girl started drooling by just thinking about Ichiraku's ramen. Naruto didn't know that Ichiraku Ramen would open their shop a year _later_.

'And after that,' the ramen junkie continued, '... huh? What was it? I swear I had something to do today.' Naruto scratched her head with a finger, trying to remember what she was supposed to do today. She swore it felt like it was important, too.

Shrugging her shoulders in a 'whatever' manner, Naruto got out of the shower. The girl chanted 'ramen' over and over as she dressed into the clothes her jiji provided for her. Naruto was extra happy because Sarutobi had gotten her an _orange_ and black t-shirt, comfy blue ANBU pants, and was able to gather all of her equipment from the future.

Looking up to the sink mirror, Naruto admired her now-clean complexion. 'I'm dirt-free!' Naruto thought joyously. 'But,' she thought, 'I feel like something's missing.' The puzzled girl peered at her reflection, squinted her eyes in a scrutinizing manner, and they widened as she screamed, "WHAT THE HELL, 'TTEBAYO!"

Naruto ran out of the bathroom and shouted to Sarutobi in panic, "Jiji! Why am I so short? And what happened to my whisker marks!"

The bewildered Sandaime patted the troubled girl's blonde head in a placating gesture and said, "Mah, mah. Calm down, Naruto. I don't know about your 'whisker marks', but if I had to guess, they're gone because you no longer hold the Kyuubi."

"But what about my body! My sixteen-year-old, hard-earned body! I've been rubbing it in Sakura and Ino's faces that I had a taller, leaner, and bigger-chested body than them! It's all gone, 'ttebayo!" Naruto wailed in disbelief.

Feeling dumbfounded, Sarutobi tried to calm the hysterical child, "Naruto,"

But Naruto shouted again, "What about my jutsus? My chakra reserves! I'll have to train my body all over AGAIN! No! No! No, ttebayo!"

"BE QUIET!" Sarutobi bellowed. Naruto instantly shut up, her hair messy from her hysterical tugs and tears during her rant. Thankful for her compliance, Sarutobi figured, "I don't know why you've turned into a child; but it's most likely the _price_ for your journey, and also so that you would still be in your prime when the Akatsuki decide to make their move. You did say that they attacked when you were twelve. Kakashi would've been around twenty-six by then."

"Ah! That's right!" Naruto yelled out in agreement. Secretly though, she was glad she wouldn't be an old prune like Tsunade by the time her counter-part was twelve.

Sarutobi coughed to bring back her attention and continued, "Now, are you ready to visit Sakumo?"

"Eh?" Naruto asked. Sakumo? Why would she visit...

"Oh!" Naruto let out in comprehension. Then, the girl tried to cover up her forgetfulness, with her hands on hips and head thrown back in a laugh. "I-I knew that, Jiji! I didn't forget! I've the best memory in the world! Bwaha-haha!"

'Yeah right. You forgot the minute you started drooling in your sleep,' Sarutobi thought with a sweatdrop on his head. The Sandaime Hokage shook his head at the girl, though inwardly amused by her antics. Out loud, Sarutobi informed the blonde midget-err- girl, yes, girl, "Naruto, I've tried making a cover story for your sudden appearance. You are Namikaze Naru- long lost sister of Namikaze Minato- and you are currently **four** years old. I've sent a letter to Jiraiya to play along until he comes back home. Supposedly, Jiraiya found you in a poor village, near Ame no Kuni's border, and wanted to get a blood test to verify your relation to Minato. Even in this situation, you were living as a poor orphan, a lone survivor of a destroyed village. Jiraiya and you entered Konoha secretly, because he didn't want to gain the attention from possible spies or enemies. While you rested from your journey, you were tired from a training exercise Jiraiya put you through, eventually falling asleep on the ground where the ANBU found you. Jiraiya, meanwhile, decided to gain some 'research' and forgot you in favor of spying on bikini-clad women."

At the end of Sarutobi's explanation, Naruto had an incredulous look on her face. She agreed, "Jiji, I don't mind, but are you sure it's okay to slander Ero-sennin's failing reputation like that?"

Sarutobi waved a dismissive hand and assured the girl, "He'll rage and cry, but in the end, I'm his Hokage and sensei."

Naruto laughed at the hilarity of the situation, but pitied her godfather, "Poor Ero-sennin."

* * *

In a town a bit away from the village, Jiraiya was reading the letter Sarutobi had sent. The pervert let out a big wail in despair, complaining how Minato would skin him alive if they used this story. The boy was the overprotective-daddy type in some aspects, especially to those he cared about. Minato always wanted a family, and Jiraiya 'forgetting' about his 'sister' to go perving would NOT be gone unpunished. So deeply agonized, the pervert momentarily forgot about Naruto and the women he was peaking in on. As a result, the man ended up sporting blue-black eyes and a Rudolph nose.

Jiraiya sighed in dismay, cringing time to time from his beatings. The self-proclaimed super pervert started packing for his return trip home. His sensei owed him **BIG** time for this.

* * *

**Whoa! This is like the longest chapter I've written for this story!**

**Writing comical scenes with Jiraiya's fun!**


	5. Ramen Junkie

**AN:**

**Finally! Using Pokémon for reference, I decided to make an 'otter' hand sign for the R.S. collection. But I haven't figured out what to align it with.**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

"NANI!" the scream of the newly-christened Namikaze Naru pierced through the air.

The reason... the ramen junkie found out, first-hand, that her beloved Ichiraku Ramen stand did NOT exist, **yet**. The building was still in construction, and a note attached on a sign pole read:

_The Ichiraku Ramen stand is still being built. It will __**most likely **__make its debut __**next year**__. Please wait and look forward to its opening day!_

_Thank you,_

_Chef Teuchi_

Sarutobi looked on as the atmosphere around Naru became dark and gloomy. A pouring rain cloud seemed to be hovering over the girl, but she miraculously stayed dry. He watched as the depressed ramen junkie knelt on the ground, comically crying a river. Sarutobi rolled his eyes at her dramatic antics.

Nearby villagers stopped and stared that the depressed girl their Hokage was accompanied with. Naru, feeling the stares she had been getting, suddenly stood up straight as an arrow, and stomped up to the Hokage. Grabbing a fistful of her jiji's coat, Naru tried to gain eye contact with Sarutobi, but her accursed four year old body only dragged him down a few feet above her head. Instead, Sarutobi had to bend down to match her height.

"What is it, Naru-chan?" the wary Hokage asked. He didn't like the crazed look in girl's eyes.

"Ra..n," Naru whispered, her hair shadowing her eyes.

"What?" Sarutobi asked, but he could probably guess what she wanted to say.

Head lifted up, Naru took a deep breath and yelled, "RAMEN! I NEED MY RAMEN, JIJI! " Sarutobi twitched at the ringing he could hear in his ears. He watched Naru as she acted like a lunatic, raving, "I went without my ramen for a long time, Jiji! I finally got a break, so I want MY RAMEN!" The crazed glint in her eyes seemed to take on a darker color.

All the Sandaime Hokage could do was nod his head in agreement with the enigmatic female before him. He really didn't want to find out what she would do if she was denied her favorite meal. Unfortunately for him, Sarutobi didn't know how big of an appetite Naru had, especially for ramen. She always managed to beat Chouji in a ramen-eating contest, and the boy was an AKIMICHI!

* * *

A little later, a happily sated Naru skipped, hand-in-hand, with Konoha's now-broke Sandaime Hokage down the streets. Sarutobi was inwardly weeping for his poor wallet. It was all gone! In a blink of an eye, his money was swallowed up by that-that EVIL hellion! ALL OF IT! What frustrated him the most was how thin the ramen junkie remained. Just WHERE did she put it all? None of it made sense!

Naru's voice broke his train of thoughts, asking, "Ne, Jiji, can't we move a little faster?"

Sarutobi chuckled at the girl's impatience. However, that wasn't really why she wanted to hurry. She wanted to get away from the gossip. Civilians didn't understand that ninjas had better hearing than a normal person. Usually, Naru would accept neutral or interested attention over the negative ones, but this wasn't _her _Konoha. No one knew who she was, and old friends didn't know her as she knew them. Unfortunately for her, Naru's hearing could catch the conversations buzzing around her:

"Hey, doesn't she look like the Yellow Flash?" A woman asked her companion.

"Ah. I wonder who she is," the woman's friend wondered. Whispers flowed Naru's way, and she was becoming uncomfortable.

This time, a man spoke, "Do you think she's a spy? I heard she was from Ame."

The women from before looked skeptical, and one of them answered, "Baka. Look at her, she's only a small child. She doesn't look like a ninja."

"It could just be a disguise," the man argued.

A rookie chuunin jumped into the conversation, "That's stupid. Why would the Sandaime accompany her out in the open, then? Besides, she does look like the Yellow Flash. Maybe she's a lost relative. I heard the Flash is an orphan, so it's not impossible."

"Anyways! That girl looks so cute holding the Hokage's hand!" one of the women commented.

The whispers and gossip went on and on. Naru was becoming irritated and held onto her jiji's hand a little tighter.

Sarutobi glanced down at the girl and quickened their pace to round a corner. Once away from prying eyes, Sarutobi used the **Shunshin no jutsu **to land a few feet away from the Hatake home. Letting go of Naru's hand, Sarutobi started walking up to the Hatakes' porch.

"Arigato, Jiji," Naru thanked in a low tone. She followed the Sandaime up to the front door.

"During times of war, strangers are suspected more often. You haven't been around for a long time, so it'll take awhile to let the village warm up to you. Until then, I hope you can endure the attention a little longer," Sarutobi informed Naru. He patted her head in reassurance and knocked on the door.

* * *

**I hope I'm not going too fast with this. School's starting in a few days and I won't be able to upload for awhile.**

**Do you think I should make comedy specials like Minato's reaction to Jiraiya 'forgetting' Naru for peeping? Maybe Naru pranks, though it's probably not good to do that during war time.**


	6. Kashi Needs His Daddy

**AN:**

**This chapter may be a bit awkward to read. I was trying to go for a solemn, then hopeful mood, but I don't think it went how I wanted it to be. I wanted to try writing how Naruto would use her 'therapy jutsu', but it was hard. Imagining the situation is way different than writing it in sentences.**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

Naru had remembered what Kakashi would used to tell her about his childhood. She was determined to save her sensei's father and prevent Kakashi from ever becoming a Sasuke-wannabe. Steeling herself with resolve, Naru waited while Sarutobi had knocked on the door.

Muffled footsteps were heard on the other side, and the door opened to reveal the deteriorating face of Hatake Sakumo. The man looked like he had seen better days.

Naru, though, was very surprised. Even though she had never seen Kakashi's face, he really did look like his father. Inwardly, Naru was grumbling darkly, 'His dad doesn't wear a mask, but he does. It wasn't a family tradition, so why did Baka-Kakashi hide his face? And who the hell wears a mask 24/7? Is he that ugly?'

She took many self-appointed "missions" when she was younger. Naru had been determined to de-mask her aloof sensei, but failed repeatedly.

Hearing the Sandaime and Sakumo talk broke her out of her thoughts. "It has been awhile, Sakumo. May we come in?" Sarutobi asked softly.

"Ah… yes. Please do come in," the gravelly voice of Sakumo welcomed them.

'Sheesh. Even the voices are similar,' Naru thought with incredulity.

As she walked into the house, Naru couldn't get over her revelation of the close similarity Kakashi shared with his father. She wasn't _that_ sure that she was much alike to her parents.

Naru sat on a couch, kicking her legs back and forth as she watched the two adults do the small talk. Her senses were spread out, searching for Kakashi's signature, and found none. 'Oh right. Kakashi's still in the academy,' Naru reminded herself.

"This is Namikaze Naru- formerly known as Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto," Sarutobi introduced.

Sakumo turned his gaze to Naru, a surprised expression on his face, and whispered, "Namikaze? Uzumaki?"

"Hai. I'm Minato and Kushina's daughter from the future. I'm also a Toad Sage, genin, Jinchuriki, and one of the children of a prophecy," Naru elaborated in a serious tone.

"Ah, Naru-chan, you don't have the Kyuubi anymore, remember?" Sarutobi reminded the girl.

"Well yeah, but I can still talk to him since his conscience can visit me anytime," Naru clarified.

Sarutobi's eyebrow ticked and in a deadpanned tone, "You failed to mention that."

"I did?" Naru wondered. "Oops, must've slipped my mind," she answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck with a hand.

Sarutobi shook his head in mock-dismay and playfully questioned, "I thought you said you had the best brain in the world, was that a lie?"

Naru glared childishly at Sarutobi, puffed her cheek, and retorted, "I do! I'm just not good with speaking like I have a mission report."

Sarutobi raised his eyebrow again and pointed out, "That's not good. As a shinobi, you have to give mission reports efficiently. I'll make sure you get a lot of practice."

Naru fired up her glare again and hissed, "No way, Old Man! If you ever do that to me, I'll make you bleed like I did when I was twelve!"

Both Sakumo and Sarutobi were curious. No matter how old, a Kage was strong. An academy student or genin shouldn't be able to harm a Kage.

"Oh, ho? Try me. If you can 'make me bleed', I'll grant you one wish- within reason," Sarutobi challenged the girl.

"Really? Yatta! I'll make you regret it, Jiji!" Naru cheered, confidently. The blonde girl grinned mischievously, made a hand sign, and shouted, "**Oiroke no jutsu**!"

In a puff of smoke, a very sexy and NAKED woman replaced the four-year old. The Sandaime Hokage blinked. Then, he yelled out in surprise as he was knocked out in a fine spray of blood from his nose. Disappointingly, Sakumo didn't seem affected and just stared at Naru's henge.

In another puff of smoke, Naru turned back into her child form. She sat back down on the couch, gettting comfortable, and addressed to Sakumo, "Sakumo-san, as you know, I'm from the future. Your son was my genin team's jounin-sensei. Eventually, we had become close friends, and we used to talk about our lives when the Fourth Shinobi War began. I know that you have been thinking about committing seppuku, but I don't want you to die."

Sakumo let out a miserable sigh and ran a hand through his unruly hair, "I've become disgraced. The majority of the village is disgusted by my actions, and Kakashi will be caught in the middle. Killing myself is the only way to redeem myself."

"No it's not!" Naru yelled. She stood up and started poking Sakumo's chest with a chakra-coated finger. The girl wanted him to feel the lingering sting. "Kakashi would be alone if you died! You might find your little act a way to redeem yourself, but others won't. They'll think you took the coward's way out, leaving your son to take the blame! Kakashi would become cold and distant, uncaring for others except the rules. Do you want that?"

"It's not that simple!" Sakumo snapped to defend himself.

"Yes it is!" Naru argued. Her eyes started glistening with frustration. It was like talking to a wall, except she could break the wall when she got angry. "I want Kakashi-sensei to keep the father he lost before. The man he was proud to call his father. The strong ninja that Konoha was proud of. What happened to your will of fire? Why did you save your comrade, instead of completing the mission? I don't think you're wrong. I think you're a hero, and I'm sure there are others who think the same. Hell, Jiji believes in you! Isn't that enough, to have those individuals believe that you were right? Do you really need the whole village to think you're correct?"

Sakumo looked like he was going to argue again, but Naru cut him off. "Don't throw your life-work away because of some idiots that are too stupid to be a _Konoha_ ninja! We are known for our teamwork and bonds! If I gave into those hate-filled glares, taunts, and loneliness; I would've died years ago!" At the end, Naruto huffed and tiredly sagged her shoulders.

Sakumo sat still, eyes wide from the constant jabbing and scolding he had been getting.

Naru sighed and spoke in a pleading tone, "Please. Please don't leave Kakashi alone. If you really need to redeem yourself, then live. Live with the shame and disgrace. Live with it and become stronger. These stupid things shouldn't bring the great Hatake, Sakumo down. If you can't do that, then live for Kakashi. Stay alive so that he'll have a father to come home to. A father that can protect him, and teach him to become a wise and strong man."

Naru took a deep breath and continued in a gloomy voice, "When I talked with Kakashi-sensei, he sounded regretful and sad whenever he spoke about you. Sensei wanted to tell you that he was proud of you, and that he beat himself over and over for abandoning you. You are not invincible. Sensei hated himself for ever thinking you never needed anyone's help. Sakumo-san, Kakashi's only **four** right now, a little boy. Even if he doesn't show it, Kakashi needs his daddy."

Naru's blue eyes gained a fiery glint, willing Sakumo to understand and stay alive.

And Sakumo... he could not help but feel properly chastised. His son needed him more than ever... so for his precious boy, he would live.

* * *

**Man! It took FOREVER to write this. I kept deleting words to try and make the speech moving, but it was hard.**


	7. His Face

AN:

**Gah! Tomorrow's the last day b4 school! T^T **

**I hate my class schedule! I have a ROP class 3x a week!**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

Hatake Kakashi was a genius. At age four, he was already smarter than most of his peers and the twelve-year old students at the academy. His teachers believed that he would get an early graduation, and most of the other academy students hated him for it.

His father's shame showed Kakashi how easily people you once trusted turned their back on you. Whether they were his father's friends, or Kakashi's own- not that he really had any- many abandoned the Hatakes. Kakashi felt the glares on his person, but hid his emotions in a stoic mask. However, that didn't seem to stop the villagers from whispering around him. Every day, since his father's return, Kakashi heard the cruel whispers, the hatred-filled insults, and it didn't help that _he _looked like is father. In his own shame for being Sakumo's son, Kakashi decided to don a real mask to hide his face, the next day onwards.

Kakashi was inwardly boiling in anger whenever the villagers would insult his family name. He also started hating his father, blaming the man for causing all this in the first place. Hatake Sakumo was a great ninja, so why didn't he take responsibility for his actions? All good ninjas obeyed the rules, but it seemed like his father had all but abandoned them. Kakashi, though, promised himself to never do what his father did, and would become a great ninja who stuck to the rules. And with that promise, Kakashi ran across the roofs, departing for home encased in a cold aura.

* * *

Sakumo, Sarutobi, and Naru were all sitting down in their seats; drinking tea while the time traveler retold what she knew about Future-Kakashi.

Hatake Sakumo couldn't comprehend how _his _son had become a pervert. Who gave the boy the idea that he should read perverted novels? Even worse, perverted novels _Jiraiya_ wrote! That man was a great ninja, but most of Konoha knew how perverted that man was. So who, or what, caused _Kakashi_ of all people to read the pervert's books? Sakumo really hoped Jiraiya wasn't the one; he would never hear the end of it from that man. He could just imagine the Toad Sage gloating on about how he corrupted the great Hatake Sakumo's only son to the 'dark side'.

Sarutobi's thoughts were in a similar boat. He should've known that his perverted student would write smutty novels. AND he corrupted _Kakashi_. If Jiraiya could convince that child to read his books, then it wouldn't be too hard to corrupt anyone else. Hell, Sarutobi was certain that even he would read his perverted student's books.

However, what surprised the two adults the most was how much of a 180 degrees turn Kakashi's personality took. Late for everything by AT LEAST three _hours_? Kakashi was always a punctual child. The Kakashi they knew would never allow himself to break the rules. Furthermore, as a genius child, Kakashi didn't have many friends; he kept to himself most of the time. So what made him change his nindo to 'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash'?

But nonetheless, Sakumo was proud of his future-son. Even though it sucked that Kakashi had to learn his life lessons the hard way, his son grew up to be a legendary shinobi. And a Hokage candidate was nothing short of an accomplishment.

* * *

Kakashi jumped down to his porch, and opened the front door. Going inside, he spoke in a low voice, "Tadaima."

"Oh, welcome back Kakashi," Sakumo called from the living room.

As Kakashi walked towards the living room, he froze in his tracks, noticing the Sandaime Hokage and a blonde girl. Sarutobi took a drag from his pipe and greeted, "Kakashi, it's been awhile. I have someone here you might want to meet."

Regaining his composure, Kakashi responded, "Hokage-sama, it's nice to see you. Are you talking about the girl next to you?"

Sarutobi nodded, directing an arm towards Naru's direction. "This is Namikaze Naru. She's the sister of Minato, and is the same age as you. I think you two would get along fine."

'The Yellow Flash's sister?' Kakashi wondered. He moved his eyes towards Naru's, coal-black meeting sapphire-blue, and introduced himself with a bow, "Hello, Namikaze-san."

Lifting his head back up from his bow, Kakashi looked forward, only to step back in surprise when Naru's face was very close to his own.

* * *

When Naru saw Kakashi enter the room, she was curious. If she remembered correctly, her stupid sensei hadn't worn a mask yet. Inwardly, Naru was cackling in triumph. Every single time, she had failed to de-mask her sensei, but now, she would see his face. Man, she really wanted her friends here now. The mystery none managed to solve would be discovered by her!

Once Kakashi decided to straighten up from his bow, Naru ran out of her seat and got up close.

No mask, check. No fish lips, check. No buck-teeth, check. No mole, check.

**. . .**

It was a normal face, Naru concluded. So why. . . WHY DID KAKASHI WEAR A MASK?! From what she knew about her sensei, Naru thought Kakashi wore his masks to mess with people. That aloof and sadistic attitude he always had seemed to be laughing in her head.

Ah fish sticks. The mystery's been wasted. Out loud, Naru commented, "Hmm. You have a pretty normal face. I don't get why everyone's making a big fuss," whispering the last bit. All those 'missions' were for nothing!

Kakashi heard her comments and misunderstood. He was surprised because everybody compared his face to his father's. This girl didn't seem to know or care who he looked like.

"Hey, Sakumo-san! He looks like you!" Naru pointed out cheerfully.

'Or not,' Kakashi thought.

"He does," Sakumo agreed with a nod, and went back to drinking his tea.

"Hmm. I wonder what Kakashi would look like when he's twenty-six," Naru wondered.

'Why is she acting like we're familiar with each other?' the puzzled Kakashi wanted to know.

"Ne, Kakashi, I guess your hair was really grey even as a kid!" Naru 'noticed' with a jolly tone.

A vein throbbed on Kakashi's forehead. Everybody seemed to think his hair was prematurely grey. 'It's silver damn it!' Kakashi inwardly shouted.

The Sandaime corrected the 'blonde moron' as Kakashi dubbed, "It's not grey. The color is silver, Naru-chan." Though, the old monkey was laughing in his head.

"Eh! But it looks grey to me, no matter how you look at it," Naru argued.

... Grey. Grey. GREY!

Kakashi was getting sick of GREY! Finally, Kakashi exploded in a pissed off voice, "My hair is NOT grey!"

Naru glanced back at Kakashi. 'He's so easy to tease than Future-Kakashi,' she thought. "What're you talking about? It's grey like an old man's hair!" Naru retorted.

"Is not!" Kakashi shouted.

"Is too!" Naruto shouted back.

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!" Kakashi shouted, again.

"Enough!" the Hokage bellowed over the noise. The children shut up and scampered around the room to sit down. "That's enough, Naru-chan," Sarutobi breathed in weariness, and turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi, Naru's going to enter the academy soon, and I thought it'd be nice to get you two to know each other," Sarutobi informed.

"What! No way! I hate the academy, Jiji!" Naru whined to her smoking 'grandfather'.

"Hokage-sama, this girl doesn't look like she would be able to keep but with the others!" Kakashi argued in disbelief.

"What'd you say!" Naru yelled angrily.

Sarutobi patted the girl's head to calm her down and confessed, "If anything, it's the other way around. When Jiraiya found her, he decided to teach Naru how to defend herself against enemy shinobi. I haven't made her a genin because others would be suspicious to her sudden appearance, and she's only four."

"Ha! In your face, baka!" Naru taunted, and stuck her tongue out at the stunned boy.

Kakashi couldn't believe it. 'Jiraiya-sama taught her? Other way around? Did that mean the dumb blonde is stronger than me?' he thought in distress. Kakashi's mood darkened with jealousy. He was a genius and this strange girl shows up, stomping on his hard work. He'd show her who was the better shinobi!

Unknown to Naru, she had gained a new rival.

* * *

**Geez. This is long.**


	8. Special: Minato Finds Out!

**AN:**

**I really do feel like this is going too fast. I can't seem to incorporate all of the characters in a setting. I tried including all of them in a situation, but I always seem to be concentrating on Naru and who she's interacting with the most. **

**Also, I wanted to create that pause, or break, one would have in real life. I can't really explain it, but it's that break in between train of thoughts. Like Sakumo thinking how Kakashi became a perv, then the next paragraph telling how proud he was of his son (ch. 7).**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

Namikaze Minato carefully surveyed his surroundings with sharp eyes. He had been given a border patrol mission about a week ago, and had minor encounters with several Iwa shinobi. It looked like the war-tension was building up.

"Minato-sempai!" a voice called behind him.

Minato turned around to ask the speaker, a chuunin, "What is it?"

The chuunin stopped a few feet before the blonde man, took a deep breath, and excitedly announced, "Big news! A girl showed up in Konoha a few days ago, and was proved to be your little sister!"

Minato's eyes widened at the new information. He had always thought he was alone. Years had gone by and no word of any relatives had ever reached his ears. The blonde had given up hope for finding his family. Instead, he made a new one with his friends. And now, a sister turns up out of nowhere! So he _did _have family!

His inner thoughts went unnoticed as the chuunin continued, "It turned out that Jiraiya-sama found the girl. He was going to bring her to the Hokage, but left the girl alone when he saw some women. The ANBU found the girl, unconscious in a training ground- most likely from training. And. . . Minato-sempai?" The chuunin broke off, as he watched the feared Yellow Flash turning a demonic red, wondering what the man was thinking.

Minato was fuming. At first, he was glad that his sensei had found his 'sister'. Then, that stupid pervert decided to go **peep** on women, forgetting all about the girl! If Jiraiya had done this outside of Konoha, his sister could've been in danger!

Filled with unholy rage, Minato's face twisted into a scowl. In a tone promising retribution, the Yellow Flash shouted for all to hear, "**JIRAIYA-SENSEI!**"

* * *

The mentioned pervert stopped in his tracks and shivered in dread. He swore he heard Minato call for his blood! But his student wasn't here, was he? It could've just been from the sake he drank earlier. Yet, for some reason, the self-proclaimed super pervert couldn't help but feel as though he was walking straight towards Hell.

Though, the moment the man's eyes landed on a group of women nearby, he tossed caution to the wind. 'Oh,ho! Research, here comes the Gallant Jiraiya!' he thought pervertedly.

* * *

**Hahaha! Poor Jiraiya!**


	9. Training With Kakashi

**AN:**

**Oppa'n Gangnam Style! Lol. That song is catchy!**

**Anyways. I've been wondering how to make my writing more 'free'. When I reread what I write, I keep thinking I'm reading my essay-writing. Anyone know how to help me convert my 'stoic' style to a happy-friendly-ish one?**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

It was Saturday. A sunny and mild-weathered Saturday. And like on any weekend, Naru loved to sleep in.

BUT! Her _dear_ Saru-jiji didn't think so. That barmy old man decided today was a good day for her to interact with the Hatakes, again. So here she was, standing in a wide clearing by the Hatake home, looking very disheveled and tired. Naru swore revenge on Sarutobi. Perhaps the **Harem no jutsu** would do the trick. If anything, Naru would get the man to yield to the beating he would get from his wife.

Dragging her feet around the house in front, Naru followed towards the sounds of someone training. Her eyes met a sweating Sakumo and mask-faced Kakashi, currently in the middle of a taijutsu spar. There was a log bench near the house's wall, and Naru plopped herself onto it.

The girl watched as Kakashi was thrown back once.

… Twice.

Then, a third time.

It went on like a repeating video. Kakashi attacked his dad, only to be thrown back a few feet, and started all over again.

Eventually, Naru got sick of seeing the same thing a hundred times and swiftly kicked Kakashi on the head, effectively knocking the boy out. Making sure Kakashi was surely out cold; Naru let out a happy sigh.

Nearby, Sakumo had a sweatdrop on his head. He had noticed Naru's movements earlier, but didn't interfere. He decided to let it become a lesson in always keeping your guard up. Although. . . Sakumo didn't consider the possibility that Naru would _purposely_ knock his son out. And on her own selfish whims no less.

* * *

A little later, Kakashi woke up to a mild throbbing on his head. His eyes opened to be met with a sunny, blue sky. The boy couldn't remember what had hit him. A distant tingle had spiked his senses, but was too late to escape the strike.

"If you're awake, you can get up now. Unless you want to cook like an egg," a familiar voice broke the quiet. Kakashi turned his head sideways, and saw Naru crouching beside him. Her face was held in her hand, which was propped up on a knee.

Suddenly, Kakashi realized _who _had hit him. Leaping up to his feet, Kakashi pointed his finger towards the blonde girl in an accusing way. "You! It was you!" the boy yelled angrily.

Naru tilted her head at an angle, uncomprehendingly, and asked, "What was?"

Kakashi's eyebrow ticked angrily as he growled, "Don't play dumb! You were the one who knocked me out!"

The distraught boy's rage was building as Naru's face articulated a sudden epiphany. He couldn't believe it when the baka had actually hit her fist on her other hand's open palm. "Oh! Why didn't you just say so?"

Kakashi felt like tearing his hair out. He really didn't know whether to think if she was a strong kunoichi-in-training, or just a blonde moron.

Sakumo, who was watching the exchange from the sidelines, decided Naru had tormented his son long enough. Calling out to the two children, Sakumo said, "Oi! If you both still have enough energy, I can show you a good training exercise."

The two kids jogged towards him, Naru more excitedly than Kakashi. "Ne, ne, Sakumo-jisan. Is it something cool? Or maybe something that'll like, blow people's mind away?" the hyper girl asked cheerfully.

'Sakumo-_ji_san?'the two Hatakes thought in unison.

But the bubbly girl went on about how awesome this was, and how strong she'd become in no time. Not to be left behind by his 'rival', Kakashi asked his father, "Tou-san, what is this exercise?"

"Ah. It's something called tree-walking," Sakumo answered his son.

"Nani? Sakumo-jisan, I can do this already," Naru supplied with a small frown in disappointment.

Kakashi though, was inwardly seething. This exercise sounded fascinating and his rival had already mastered it. That meant that he was weaker than the blonde!

"I know you can, Naru-chan, but your reserves are still growing. Good shinobi should continuously train their chakra control when they can," Sakumo informed the dissatisfied girl.

'Chakra control?' Kakashi thought in confusion.

Then his analytical mind put the pieces together, answering his own question. This was an exercise to build chakra reserves while learning to stick to solid objects with chakra. Kakashi was starting to look forward to trying it out.

"No complaining, Naru-chan. You know it's good for you," Sakumo chided gently.

Naru grumbled a bit but didn't refute his words. Both she and Kakashi started gathering their chakra. Once they felt that it was a good amount, they took off towards their chosen trees.

* * *

Naru's reaction was the funniest in Sakumo's opinion. He had never seen anyone rocket off the trunk with this exercise. The girl also had landed, head-first, into a thick bush. She struggled to get her head out of the greenery; planting her feet and hands against the overgrowth, and pushed with all her might. When her head didn't budge, the blonde flailed wildly and her muffled curses filled the clearing. Sakumo could not help but laugh at the comical scene.

Kakashi on the other hand, landed on a nearby branch and looked towards the explosion. He gritted his teeth, feeling inferior to the blonde girl. If she flew off like that, it meant she had HUGE chakra reserves. The boy knew large reserves weren't common in his family, but he needed as much as he could get. He couldn't become a good shinobi with little chakra.

It was also odd, hearing his father laugh out loud like that. It had been a long time since the boy had last heard his father let it go. He also felt jealous that it was his rival who caused it in the first place. She hadn't known them for even a week and she had wormed her way into his father's heart.

In a sulky mood, Kakashi continued to climb his tree.


	10. Minato and Naru

**AN:**

**No! Tomorrow, school starts! I don't want to go! I swear I'm going to drown myself in my tears by the time the week ends!**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

It was a great and bright Sunday morning. The gate guards on duty were lazing in their chairs, boredom hovering over them. Nothing interesting happened except the odd scream that filled the air a few minutes ago. Some ANBU members on shift went to check out the disturbance, and returned in a chuckling fit.

Curious, the gate guards turned their heads towards the path outside the village's walls. Their eyes noticed a somewhat-fuming Minato and a very beaten-up Jiraiya. The guards gaped with their mouths wide open.

They continued to do so as Minato reported in a clipped tone, "Namikaze Minato; returning from border patrol. I met with Jiraiya of the Sannin on the way and I just had to _greet_ my sensei."

The injured elder wept for his misfortune. It wasn't even his fault! The Hokage was the one who used his own student as a scapegoat! That old monkey _knew _Minato would most likely react this way, so he used Jiraiya as a shield. If he survived this ordeal, the Toad Sage vowed to get revenge on his sensei!

Out loud, Jiraiya pleaded to his currently, not-so-cute student, "Minato, forgive me! I was wrong to do what I did!"

The blonde ignored him and started walking towards the Hokage tower. As the two men passed the villagers, many onlookers started gossiping as they noticed Jiraiya's appearance. Those who knew of Minato's tendencies to go 'mama bear' chuckled at the sight of the two.

It was like that the whole walk towards the tower.

* * *

Namikaze Minato was in a bizarre mood. He felt relieved to come home from a mission. He felt jubilant that he would soon meet his younger sister! He was also a bit angry at his sensei because of the man's perverted habits. Finally, he missed Kushina. It turned out that she was out on a mission.

The moody Namikaze wondered if his day would get any weirder.

* * *

Naru was nervous. She was usually confident, but she about to meet her father and godfather. It felt like forever since she last saw them. The girl was afraid that she would break down if she met Jiraiya.

Like everyone else in this Konoha, the men might be different from the people she knew them as. Out of all of her precious people, Naru feared for her parents and godfather's reaction the most. She didn't know what she would do if they rejected her. The girl didn't exist in this time frame and she suddenly showed up as the war-tension began developing.

Sarutobi watched Naru as she wrung her hands in nervousness and gently chided, "Calm down, child. It'll be fine. Both of them might be a little wary at first, but they'll eventually come around."

The distressed girl's shoulders sagged, and she let out a sigh. She decided to stare at the office door, waiting for what seemed like an eternity.

Soon, Naru's posture tensed as she felt the incoming signatures of her father and godfather. There was a short knock on the door, and Sarutobi said loudly, "Enter."

The door steadily opened to reveal the forms of Minato and Jiraiya. Naru willed back the tears that were threatening to spill over. Oh, how she missed the idiotic Ero-Sennin!

Not trusting her voice, the emotional time traveler let Sarutobi do most of the talking. Naru just observed the new arrivals in front of her. Her father looked exactly the same as she had first met him- minus the cloak. Jiraiya was similar to his future-self as well, but with less wrinkles and shorter hair.

"This girl is Namikaze Naru. Minato, you probably already heard, but this girl is your younger sister," Sarutobi introduced, gaining the younger men's attention.

Minato spun his gaze in her direction. She was a petite thing, the older blonde noticed. The girl almost looked like a female version of him, except for the shape of her eyes and long hair.

The elder of the two 'siblings' slowly walked up to the younger, never breaking eye contact. Kneeling down to Naru's height, Minato introduced himself sheepishly, "Ah... hello! My name is Namikaze Minato, and… I guess I'm your big brother now, Naru-chan." At the end, the nervous man let an awkward smile grace his lips.

Naru could not help but let out a giggle. The fact that her idol could get nervous like a fool never crossed her mind before. Her unknowing father blushed lightly, thinking that he had made an embarrassing impression. The girl eventually calmed down, and returned the smile shyly, "I'm Naru. It looks like I'm your sister now, nii-chan," she spoke; copying her father's introduction.

Minato laughed a little, feeling oddly relaxed at the moment. His sister was so adorable!

Jiraiya and Sarutobi watched the exchange in silence. Then, Minato stood to pick up Naru, hugging her to his chest.

It was warm, the time traveler realized. Was this what it felt like to be embraced by a father? Clutching her sire's vest tightly, the girl let unshed tears fill her eyes. 'Tou-san,' she cried in her head.

* * *

Sarutobi smiled at the cute scene and added his last words, "I think you two would like to get to know each other better, so Minato, you can be off-duty for a week. If you want to know your sister's full story, come by tomorrow. Jiraiya and I need to talk for awhile. Dismissed."

Minato smiled and thanked the Hokage with an awkward bow, since Naru was holding onto his vest like a lifeline.

Once the blondes' presence were completely out of range, Jiraiya rounded on his sensei, fuming. "You conniving old geezer! I can't believe what you did to me! Do you have any idea how much pain this cover up's caused me? My reputation's going down the drain!" The white-haired ninja tugged on his spiky locks in frustration.

His sensei just sat down in his chair, took his pipe out, and dismissively said with a chuckle, "There wasn't much of it left anyways. I heard Minato did a number on you."

"Hmph! No one appreciates me anymore. I can't believe you turned my cute student against me!" Jiraiya whined. "I just hope Tsunade doesn't believe in that crap you spewed. I don't need _her _of all people to 'teach me a lesson'," Jiraiya prayed with a shiver.

Sarutobi chuckled again and looked out of his window, thinking what the future would bring now.

* * *

Minato and Naru were walking around the village, hand-in-hand, as they talked about their lives. Well, it was mostly Naru doing the talking while Minato listened. Of course, the man didn't know who the girl really was, so the sixteen-year-old-in-disguise had to edit most of her stories to fit the timeline. She mostly chatted about her training trip with Jiraiya- only the basic things she was supposed to learn for surviving outside.

"... And then, I flew off the trunk, getting my head stuck in a bush. Sakumo-jisan wouldn't stop laughing!" the hyper girl spoke happily, scowling at the last bit. Her 'brother' laughed out loud, amused by her tale and reaction.

Sakumo laughing? It had been awhile since the blonde man had heard his sempai let out a laugh. Naru was an entertaining child. But from her stories, unpredictable would best describe her.

And he couldn't BELIEVE that she had created the '**Oiroke no jutsu**'! Even though that jutsu was useful, Naru shouldn't be old enough to know 'perverted jutsus'! Clearly, Jiraiya had corrupted her innocent mind. Minato wasn't going to let that go. His sensei seriously needed a meaningful wallop.

* * *

At the end of the day, Minato had to carry a sleepy Naru to their home- his apartment. The man liked his new sister. She had been raised as an orphan like him, but didn't lose her bright personality.

Setting his mission equipment on the living room floor, the older blonde went inside his spare bedroom. He laid Naru down tenderly, and started removing her sandals and ninja gear.

In a sleepy murmur, Naru asked her brother, "Ne, nii-chan. Can we sleep together?"

"Alright, Naru-chan. Just let me change my clothes," Minato whispered softly.

By the time her brother returned, Naru was fast asleep. Minato made sure she was underneath the warm covers and followed suit. He gave a light kiss on her brow and whispered a final, "Good night, Naru-chan."

* * *

**Ugh. I don't think I wrote this ch. well.**


	11. Wacky Blonde

**AN:**

**After today, this fanfic will most likely be on a hiatus.**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

Monday morning came rolling in, but neither Namikaze woke. It appeared that Naru got her waking habits from her father's side.

Both snoozed on until a loud, persistent ringing of an alarm clock couldn't be ignored any longer. The two blondes got up, getting ready for a new day. Naru's things had been delivered at some point, much to her relief; but she was starting school today, so she was a bit annoyed. During breakfast, the brother and sister didn't talk much, as they were still not fully awake, yet.

Locking their apartment door, Minato lifted the sleepy girl up, traveling across the roofs. On the way to the academy, the blonde duo landed on the street to greet Sakumo and Kakashi.

"Yo, sempai! Good morning!" Minato spoke cheerily for someone still half-asleep. Naru, who had taken advantage of the morning ride to gain some shut-eye, opened her eyes blearily.

"Hey Minato. Ready for school, Naru-chan?" Sakumo addressed, nodding to the blonde pair.

Naru had been let down from Minato's arms and yawned, "Hi, Sakumo-jisan. I don't want to go, but Jiji made me, so I can't do anything about it really."

Behind her, Minato had made a choked noise, surprised by the informal way his sister addressed their Hokage.

"Ah, well, I think he wants you to be around kids _your_ age," Sakumo told the annoyed girl, vaguely hinting at her to keep the act in place. "That reminds me. 'Kashi, aren't you going to say hi?" the man prodded his son.

Young Kakashi's head poked out from behind his father's legs, and greeted their companions, "Good morning Minato-san, and Moron."

"I'm not a moron!" Naru cried out with a scowl, and stomped her way down the road. She was tired and hungry for ramen, but had to deal with the academy and Kakashi before she could. It was a crappy morning.

Kakashi scoffed, rolled his eyes, and countered in a condescending tone, "Yes you are. I can't believe you actually tripped over _nothing_ while we were training last time." The boy followed the semi-temperamental girl as he spoke.

Sakumo and Minato ended up trailing behind the two children at a slow walk.

"They seem to be bonding," Sakumo commented.

"Hah..." his junior comrade agreed, a bit baffled. Kakashi and Naru's interaction reminded him of Orochimaru and Jiraiya. It wasn't hard to guess who was like whom. It was a strange cycle in the shinobi world; a genius and a dead last's bonding/rivalry ritual, if you want to call it that.

* * *

"I'm not stupid, dattebayo!" Naru yelled at Kakashi.

'**Dattebayo**?' Minato thought, as he watched the two 'rivals'. Naru sounded like Kushina, but he doubted that they had met. The yellow-haired genius was becoming curious. He had thought he was hallucinating before, but now that he reflected upon it, Naru's eyes were the same shape as Kushina's. The fiery attitude his sister possessed was also like that of the red-head he knew.

Naru looked like a female version of Minato, but owned Kushina's eyes and attitude. It was like the girl was their offspring, but it couldn't be. Minato and Kushina had never gone that far in their relationship. The two wanted to wait until there was a confirmed peace period. They also couldn't take chances, at this time, because of the Kyuubi.

Minato had a feeling that the Hokage knew at least _something _about this mystery. The elder _did _say that the blonde should visit, if he wanted to know the whole story.

A tug on his pant leg brought the genius out of his reflections. Minato looked down to see a cherubic-looking Naru, gazing up at him with a cute grin. He could've just _melted_ at the sight, but held himself together to ask, "What is it, Naru-chan?"

The petite angel, in Minato's opinion, parted her lips with a smile and said, "Nii-chan! Hug!" The girl had lifted her arms up to show him what she wanted.

Minato inwardly cooed at that picture and complied, bending down to accommodate Naru's height. "Have a nice day, Minato-nii," she mumbled into her brother's shoulder. The girl loved to hug her future-father. When she had met him in her mindscape, the first she did was punch him in the gut. They didn't have time to bask in each other's presence. Now, Naru could hug Minato all she wanted, actually feeling the warm and safe presence of her father.

After a moment, Naruto stepped back to kiss Minato's cheek. She, then, turned to skip up to Kakashi, who had been getting his hair ruffled by his father. "Let's go, Kakashi!" The happy girl shouted, grabbing onto the stoic boy's hand and dragging him.

Once the children were out of sight, Sakumo turned to Minato and sweatdropped at the 'feared' Yellow Flash. The wacky blonde was frozen like a statue, still crouching, and holding a hand to his cheek.

"Minato?" Sakumo called to the blonde. Said man didn't respond, even as Sakumo waved a hand in front of his face. Changing tactics, the Hatake charged an outstretched finger with lightning and zapped the frozen male.

The result was instantaneous. Minato yelped and jolted out of his funk, glaring at his assailant. "That hurt, sempai!" the blonde whined, rubbing the spot where Sakumo had zapped him.

The silver-haired man just rolled his eyes and turned for home. But Minato wouldn't let him. His kohai had grabbed his arm and started dragging them towards the Hokage tower's direction. "You can't go home yet, sempai! We both are on vacation, so let's go visit the Hokage together," Minato cheered with a pumped fist.

"Why?" Sakumo wondered out loud.

The blonde didn't answer right away. He walked beside Sakumo, humming a jaunty tune with his hands clasped behind his back. 'Naru, you made him weirder!' the Hatake mentally cried.

Then, Minato answered in a jolly, happy-drunk way, "Sarutobi-sama told me to visit him if I wanted to know Naru's full story."

'The Hokage is going to tell Minato?' Sakumo mentally questioned. Out loud, he told the weird blonde, "I already know most of it, but it can't hurt to find out more."

Minato stopped walking and whipped his head towards the older man. "Eh? That's not fair! Tell me, sempai! Onegai~," Minato pleaded childishly.

"Find out when we get there," Sakumo replied, walking ahead.


	12. Meeting to Hear the Truth

**AN:**

**I forgot about the meeting with Minato, Sakumo, and the Third. It was funny because I was trying to make Minato like Tamaki from Ouran, and I noticed that they were both BLONDE. They could've been relatives!**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

The Sandaime Hokage was lounging in his chair, while taking a long drag from his ever-present pipe. He had a long conversation with Jiraiya the other day, and the pervert left his aging teacher in favor of peeping in the hotsprings.

A knock was heard on the door, and Sarutobi said, "Enter."

In came Sakumo, who the Hokage wasn't expecting to see, and a... dopey-looking Minato, who he was expecting... sort of.

"Why does he look like that, Sakumo?" Sarutobi asked, warily eyeing the weird blonde next to the bored-looking silver-head.

"Naru gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek," in came the blunt reply.

Ah... The two men observed Minato as he began developing a sister-complex. They could see the range of faces the blonde made while he thought about his 'cute sister'.

A little disturbed, Sarutobi threw a brush at the daydreaming blonde's head. Disappointingly, the target caught the incoming projectile.

Minato returned to his senses and apologized with a Naruto-like gesture, "Gomen." The other two men chuckled, embarrassing him further.

Sarutobi sat up properly in his chair, and propped up his folded hands on his desk. "Now then. Minato, some of the things I'll tell you might be farfetched, but wait until the end to ask your questions." Minato nodded his head in agreement.

Sarutobi hmmed and took another drag from his pipe, getting ready to deal with the blonde's definite reaction. "Naru's full name is Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, she is not your sister, but your and Kushina's daughter from the future." Sakumo and Sarutobi stared at Minato, waiting for a bomb to drop.

Said man's eyes enlarged at the information. His and Kushina's child? From the future! It wasn't impossible, but... how? He had studied about space-time jutsus and theories; else he couldn't have made the **Hiraishin**. Multiple factors would have to apply for Naru to go back in time. Additionally, it was dangerous! Naru's four years old! Why would she need to go back in time as a young child?

Seeing Minato's inner turmoil, Sarutobi supplied, "Naru's actually sixteen years old, but is now in a four-year old body."

'Sixteen!' Minato yelled in his head. His sis- no _daughter_- was practically an adult! However, the time travel made more sense that way.

"If you want to know what she looks like at sixteen, ask her yourself," Sarutobi offered to the distressed man before him.

The blonde ran a hand through his spiky hair and let out in an overwhelmed tone, "It's just a lot to take in, Sarutobi-sama." Sakumo patted his kohai's shoulder in sympathy.

There was a moment of silence and Minato remarked, "With my understanding of 'time', I do not think it's acceptable for us have knowledge of the future. It would disrupt the flow of time and the future may be altered."

"I agree with you Minato, but Naru CANNOT return. You know of the Elder Toad's prophecy, correct?" Sarutobi addressed to the blonde shinobi, who nodded in affirmation.

"Naru is _a _child of that prophecy," the Sandaime Hokage stated with a serious expression.

This time, both Sakumo and Minato were surprised. Sakumo knew Naru was _a_ prophesized child, but didn't know WHICH one she was, until now. Minato was shocked beyond words. Wait... _a_ child? Did that mean there was more than one? The blonde had asked that question out loud.

"Yes. From what Naru relayed to me, there was more than one child. Though, Naru would be the last child. You would've been proud of her, Minato," Sarutobi spoke with a smile. "Naru didn't seem to notice it, but she has a strange power. She can make friends out of most people: old enemies or cynical individuals." The elderly man then laughed as he added with an amused voiced, "Naru calls it the 'therapy' jutsu because she thinks that beating someone upwould 'heal' her victims."

Sakumo and Minato sweatdropped as they listened. Maybe Kakashi's nickname for the girl wasn't so off after all.

Solemnly, the Hokage told the bewildered blonde man in front of him, "Minato, I know this isn't what you would want to hear, but... Naruto- or Naru, as she would be called now- was Konoha's _third _Kyuubi Jinchuriki. You know what that means, don't you?"

The younger man paled pasty white, a horrified expression taking over his features. The blonde genius knew what that piece of information implied. Somewhere along the way, the Kyuubi had gotten free. Minato closed his eyes, fearing that it meant that Kushina died in the process... And Naruto, his own _daughter_ had to be the one to carry on Konoha's dangerous legacy. He and Kushina had been considering getting married in the future, and they began to prepare for the worst, should they ever choose to have children. Minato could guess that _he _was the one who sealed the loose biju into his own _baby_.

He wondered what his future-self felt, experiencing such a heartwrenching moment. The present Minato thought that he wouldn't be able to bear the guilt of such a crime. Before the man could ever think about dying from a sacrificed soul, he probably would have perished from a broken heart.

* * *

Attempting to change the gloomy atmosphere, the Hokage spoke softly, "But understand this, boy, Naruto doesn't hate you or Kushina. She accepted your actions with a big heart, and began to carry out your and Jiraiya's dreams for peace. And from what I've heard from the girl, the shinobi world was very close to attaining the peace you've been fighting for. I think you would've loved it, Minato. Iwa, Kumo, Kiri, Konoha, Suna, and the samurai had all come together under one banner in order to fight their war." Then, the elderly man chuckled as he took a drag from his pipe, "I didn't think that Onoki had it in him to fight by our side."

Disbelief covered the pained expression Minato wore, and his eyes widened in astonishment. Forgive? Why would his daughter forgive him? Couldn't she see how much wrong her own _father_ had done to her? It didn't make sense!

... Yet, that emotion was pushed aside for something greater. Blooming pride. Besides forgiving Minato for his future-decisions, Naruto chose to continue his and Jiraiya's goals for peace. All the five, great villages came together with the samurai; that was probably the closest to mutual peace Minato had ever heard of. And to think... _Naruto_ would be standing right in the middle of it. Oh, how the man longed to see that future.

Then suddenly, there was a round of laughter. Sakumo and the Hokage saw that it came from the blonde man. The older men noticed a proud and happy look shining on Minato's face.

Things appeared alright in the world for these three.

* * *

**Some of this scene is repeated in "Daddy's Here".**


	13. Academy

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

Within the walls of Konoha's ninja academy, a certain silver-haired boy was bored. After being dragged inside by Naru, she and Kakashi had split ways. Like usual, the Hatake heir had steeled himself for another day with his ignorant classmates. Entering his classroom, most of the chatter stopped. The other students were silent as Kakashi walked towards his seat, a lonely corner by the windows. The genius could feel the glares he was getting behind his back, but said nothing. To constantly soften the mental blows he received, Kakashi had unconsciously started to believe that his peers were below him. They were all like the shallow villagers he'd seen around the village streets, and weren't the effort to acknowledge.

The lonely boy just sat in his seat, staring out the window like he did every school morning, waiting for the day to be over.

* * *

Conversations returned with a quieter vigor; but were, once again, stalled as the door opened to reveal the students' chuunin-sensei. Noisy movements were heard as students hurried towards their seats. Their sensei walked up to his podium as usual, but they noticed a petite blonde kid trailing behind him.

With some kind of sixth sense, Kakashi just _knew_ that whoever the kid was, he or she was going to give him a huge headache.

The boy was right, in a way.

Why?

Because the mysterious kid was none other than Namikaze, Naru!

Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise. Of all classes out there, _she _had to be in _his_. It seemed like that girl was destined to be his rival!

Naru's own pair of eyes roved all over the classroom, and found Kakashi gaping at her. With a wide grin, the bubbly blonde waved an arm to say hello, bringing unwanted attention to the gaping boy. Feeling uncomfortable with the eyes upon his person, Kakashi glared at Naru.

'Stop waving, baka!' Kakashi mentally shouted, willing the unspoken message to reach the dumb blonde. However, the clueless girl didn't get it. Thinking he just wasted his energy over a lost cause, Kakashi whipped his head towards the window once more.

'Jerk,' Naru thought when Kakashi turned away.

The chuunin-sensei, discovered to be _Umino_, Daisuke, shouted out, "Shut up you idiots, and listen up! This is Namikaze Naru; your new classmate. Be nice. Any questions?"

A plain boy raised his hand and asked what were on everyone else's minds, "Hey, are you really the Yellow Flash's sister?"

Predicting this question, Naru only nodded her head once to quickly finish the 'interigation'. Chatter stirred up a third time, only to be stunted when Daisuke-sensei used the big head jutsu-thing Naru had seen Iruka use. It seemed like it was a tradition between teachers.

Turning his gaze towards Naru, Daisuke-sensei told her, "You seem to know Kakashi earlier, so why don't you sit next to him?"

"Hai~!" the girl obeyed, jogging up the steps as her new classmates watched her journey. Since no one appeared to like Kakashi, his row was the only empty one. So, the children were stunned when Naru sat down, _next _to the boy. She could've sat at any other spot, but she chose the one next to the loner!

A few, secret fan girls glared at Naru. None of them had the guts to go near Kakashi, but this girl did, and they were jealous. Naru saw the glares, which reminded her of the younger Sakura and Ino.

The Hatake said nothing. He didn't even glance back her way.

* * *

The lunch bell sounded and students scattered out of the classrooms. Naru got up from her seat with a wide stretch of her arms. She was a little impatient during classes because she was starving for ramen.

The ramen junkie was walking down the hallway, when a boy's voice asked, "Hey, Naru right?"

Naru looked to her right, and was inwardly shocked to see a younger Sarutobi, Asuma. It was odd seeing him without a beard and cigarette. With a calm façade, the time traveler confirmed in a cheery tone, "That's me!"

Asuma smirked and continued, "My old man told me you were coming to the academy today. Since you're new, my friends and I thought you'd want to hang out with us. Unless, you want to hang out with that annoying Kakashi."

Naru's face held a minute frown before nodding in acceptance. "I don't mind hanging out with you. I was going to go eat ramen anyways. But, even though Kakashi's annoying at time, he's not a bad kid."

Asuma shrugged his shoulders, and the two children walked towards the exit. "But the brat acts like he's better than us, every day," the young boy pointed out.

Naru's eyes didn't stray away from the path ahead. The girl answered, "That's cuz he's lonely. I think he thinks that no one could understand what he's going through. Kakashi's a shinobi genius. The lives and minds of people like him aren't easy to get along with or understand. Some of them act older than how people their age should be. The moment we become genin, the village accepts us as grownups. To the other ninjas, we would become adults in their eyes, and that we should act like one. Kakashi's kinda like that."

The girl took in a deep breath before carrying on bluntly, "Kakashi's really smart. And because he's that smart, kids our age don't understand him. Maybe, he thinks that only a genius like him could understand half of what he's thinking. Minato-nii is a genius, and Kakashi probably likes him. My brother understands the way Kakashi thinks. Sakumo-jisan also tried getting Kakashi to play with other kids his age, but in Kakashi's brain, he doesn't get _why_ he should. It doesn't make sense to him. What little things we think are fun aren't fun for him. Kakashi doesn't really know_ what _fun is, or _how_ to act like a kid."

At the end of Naru's speech, Asuma was gaping at her with what appeared to be in awe or disbelief. The girl didn't notice, believing getting out of the building was more important.

Outside, a little group of students were waiting under a tree. "Yo!" Naru greeted in a Kakashi-sensei fashion, eye-smiles and all. That's why she didn't see the way a certain Maito, Gai blushed.

"Hello, Namikaze," a young version of Kurenai greeted neutrally.

"Ah, Naru's just fine," the blonde said sheepishly. She was never one for proper honorifics. Naru usually made weird nicknames to the people she met.

"Then, Naru," Kurenai acknowledged, "Where is your bentou? Aren't you going to eat lunch?"

The ramen junkie grinned and answered, "I am. I'm going to go buy ramen though, cuz that's like, the BEST FOOD IN THE WHOLE WORLD!" The others stumbled where they stood, surprised by the loud exclamation at the end. Naru's voice rivaled that of Gai's when she wanted to be.

The youth-fanatic was practically bursting with happiness and yelled out, "Oh, sweet YOUTH! A pretty flower has a MAGNIFICENT FIRE that BURNS brightly!"

'Oh, shit,' Naru cursed in her head. She forgot about Gai and what caused his youth outbursts. Out loud, the girl laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head with a hand, and said, "Um... t-thanks?"

"Gai, stop it. You'll scare the girl away," an aloof Shiranui Genma ordered.

"Ah, gomen! I just couldn't let such YOUTH go unnoticed!" Gai exclaimed. The other kids sighed, rolling their eyes up towards the heavens in prayer. They wanted to have _some _peace and quiet when Gai was around.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Asuma and Naru, Kakashi had heard their conversation from earlier. Kakashi was in the process of leaving the building, until he heard Asuma talk to Naru. Kakashi thought Naru was going to be like everyone else and listen to the other children, abandoning him to the loneliness once more.

However, the girl amazed him by her defensiveness towards him. The two didn't really know each other that well. Oddly to Kakashi, he felt a tinge of stirring emotion, but didn't know what it was. Besides the few people who knew him, no one bothered with Kakashi. It was a little refreshing to hear the fiery girl come to his defense.

Naru surprised Kakashi more by accurately theorizing why Kakashi had a stoic front. It was weird that this strange girl could read him so well. It was true that Kakashi didn't understand the concept of children's _fun_. He found no joy in sliding down a slide, or swinging on a swing. It was something foolish and Kakashi didn't think he was foolish. He started training in the shinobi arts ever since he could walk. Compared to his peers, Kakashi matured a little earlier. But his genius-mind was the deciding factor. It made it easier for the boy to comprehend and analyze whatever he learned. So, of course, he had believed that only a fellow genius like Minato could ever understand him.

Naru was only partially wrong about the other students. She was correct that they didn't know him. It was also because they didn't WANT to know him. The others were still normal children, and most children didn't like complex or 'boring' things. What they didn't like or comprehend were ignored or disposed of, like trash. Kakashi thought there weren't any good reasons to waste his time with those types of people.

Other children also hated him from jealousy. The academy training they couldn't do easily, Kakashi could, and it pissed them off. No one liked being one-up'd by a little boy.

There was also the hatred and loneliness created by his father's disgrace. Parents gossiped out loud and their 'knowledge' was passed down to their children. All in all, Kakashi was alone in a tight circle of loathing. It was also one of the reasons why he wanted to graduate early. The sooner the boy left, the sooner he wouldn't have to deal with the ignorant children.

Then... Naru appeared. Kakashi could tolerate that girl. During the short time the genius knew her; she was a little fissure in his unbreakable circle, like sunrays after a storm. Naru didn't care about his genius, or his father's reputation. Even though the boy tried being callous towards her, she wouldn't leave him alone. The strange girl actually tried harder to bring his emotions out. And whenever she succeeded, a brilliant smile graced her joyful face, similar to Minato's own 'You did it!' smile.

When Naru and Asuma had left, Kakashi contemplated on the new information he had gained. Perhaps... next time the genius would be nice to the girl.

Unconsciously, Hatake, Kakashi let a small smile make its way across his face.


	14. Daddy's Here

**AN:**

**Yay! I decided to cancel my after school ROP, so I'll have more time now!**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

The academy hours were soon over, and students had run out the door in joy. Asuma's group had left first, leaving Kakashi and Naru alone.

While walking towards the doors, Naru mulled over the things she discovered about the future jounin-sensei's. Kurenai was the second generation of shinobi of her family. She was polite when she wanted to be, a little serious like her older-self, and a bit of a spitfire. Despite her lacking skills in other areas, the future genjutsu-mistress excelled in her future-talent.

Even at a young age, Asuma just had to have some kind of stick in his mouth. Maybe it was from watching his father smoke a pipe all day. But since the boy was too young for tobacco, he settled with chewing on a toothpick. Surprisingly for Naru, Asuma was gradually developing a 'fall out' with his father. The time traveler couldn't figure out how her jiji's own son could possibly dislike him. Jiji was the best (grand)father Asuma had, in her opinion. Although, she couldn't really say anything when she didn't know Asuma, like Team 10 did.

Genma and Raido turned out to be several years older than the rest of the group. Like Asuma, Genma chewed on a toothpick, and wore a blue bandana like he did in the future. He was still laid back as ever, growing closer and closer to becoming the flirt he would be known as. Raido was the more sensible of the two, and Naru thought he looked good without his future-self's scars. Even now, Genma and Raido were interested in swordsmanship. Raido had carried a training boken, which stuck out like a flagpole on his back. Genma thought it looked 'uncool' to wear it that way, and left his with his school bag.

Anko, much to Naru's shock, was modestly dressed and less... sadistic/psychotic than the one Naru met in her time. She was also Kurenai's childhood friend, since they lived near each other. But the future snake-mistress still had an obsession with dango. Naru had accidently dropped a dango ball to the ground, and Anko almost cried a river. Weirdly enough, the dango junkie performed a cheap 'funeral' for the fallen snack, creating a small grave mound.

And Gai... he was still his green spandex-clad-self, with a lesser dose of 'youthfulness'. His eyebrows looked a little smaller, but the bowl-cut hair was still the same. Naru almost mistook him for Lee, until she noticed his eye-shape and facial structure. Also, for some reason, Gai acted nervously around her. He turned red whenever Naru smiled his way, nearly pulling a 'Hinata'. The dense girl just thought Gai had indigestion from eating his curry too fast.

* * *

Once out of the Academy, Naru and Kakashi saw their guardians waiting at the school gates.

The blonde girl ran up to her brother, shouting as she leapt into the air, "Nii-chan!" Minato turned and caught his sister in midflight, hugging the captured munchkin to his chest like he did in the morning.

"Did you have a good day, Naru-chan?" her captor asked, subtly nervous for an unknown reason.

"Un! I made friends with Jiji's son, Asuma, and his friends," Naru answered cheerily.

Sarutobi Asuma, Minato recalled, was always seen with his little group of companions, hanging out near food establishments or in training areas. Most of the time, the boy and his group just relaxed on a grassy hill, chatting or playing like normal children.

But what caught Minato's attention was how many BOYS were in the group. Naru had been around a group with only TWO girls in that group of six. And it didn't help that one of the boys was known to a little flirt.

To the overprotective sibling's increasing ire, Naru told him how odd that Gai-kid had acted around her. Minato could see the signs of a crush, and was VERY glad that Naru hadn't noticed. That spandex-moron would never get his precious angel!

* * *

On the other hand, Kakashi was stunned to see his father. The boy had thought that Sakumo would waste the rest of his life away in seclusion. His father stopped picking him up from the academy when Kakashi had turned four, upon the boy's persistence.

However, all Sakumo did was smile and ruffled his son's untamable hair.

Deep inside his heart, Kakashi felt a little pleased. His inner child wanted to act like Naru at times, but his pride wouldn't let him. A small blush went unnoticed behind the boy's mask, while his eyes creased in a small smile.

Kakashi also noticed that his father looked slightly healthier ever since Naru came. The stoic genius would never publicly admit it, but, he'd always be in Naru's debt for saving his father.

* * *

The two shinobi families made their journey to the Hatake estate in an enjoyable way. The unpredictable girl had proposed a race, and the adults carried their charges on their shoulders as they hopped across the roofs. Kakashi had protested at the beginning, but Sakumo didn't listen. Secretly, the boy enjoyed the ride. It had been a long time since Kakashi had sat on his father's broad shoulders. He also hadn't felt this free in awhile. The wind felt cool against the genius' face, the rest of the world a speedy blur of color, and his heart beating loudly with adrenaline.

Minato, who was in the lead, had gotten a little stuck when the blonde pair had landed on an empty building, Naru laughing as they fell. Sakumo chuckled and passed them with a small distance gap. Kakashi looked back to see Minato jump back up, trying to catch up to the silver-headed pair.

Naru cheered and kept telling Minato to go faster, the girl holding tightly onto her brother's spiky locks. The amused man obliged to her wishes, but his sempai wasn't making it easy. The elder Hatake heard Naru's cheers and decided he had to step up his game, too. As a result, the silver-headed pair had won the race.

Kakashi felt slightly disappointed at how short the ride had been, but stowed the emotion away. The Namikaze pair arrived, Naru smiling like a loon,as her brother set her down.

"Kakashi that was fun, right?" the happy girl asked the stoic-looking boy.

"No," he fibbed, not willing to submit to his juvenile desires.

"Che. You're such a party pooper," the weird blonde pouted. Kakashi ignored her, inwardly wondering where that mature side she had exposed, earlier, had gone. Naru seemed to have reverted to her hyper-self after her conversation with Asuma.

The puzzled genius let out a 'hn' sound and went inside his house. Naru was about to follow, but Sakumo stopped her with a firm hand on her shoulder. The girl looked at the man with a questioning glance.

"Minato knows the truth," Sakumo vaguely informed her. Naru's eyes widened. When Sarutobi had said he would tell Minato her story, the girl thought the Hokage meant about the false alibi they created, not the real one.

Now, the time traveler got nervous. Her father knew!

Sakumo left the Namikazes alone, entering his home to make up an excuse to Kakashi for the blondes' delay.

* * *

Minato watched as his sister- no, _daughter_- have an inner conflict with emotion. The man could see that Naru could be his daughter. It also made more sense about her similarities with Kushina.

And Kushina! He really did end up marrying her! Furthermore, they had created a beautiful daughter together!

Back in the Hokage's office, when the future Hokage found out about the truth, he went through a wide range of emotion. He was devastated that he and Kushina did not survive to raise their child. That Tobi had screwed their family up, with that loon's selfish ambitions.

Naru had grown up as an orphan, something Minato did not wish upon his children. In addition, he turned his own child into a Jinchuriki! Neither he nor Kushina wanted their future offsprings to be burdened with such a thing. They both knew that a Jinchuriki wouldn't be treated in a caring environment. But that wasn't meant to be. Minato couldn't bear to think that he would sacrifice his future child to that kind of fate!

The distressed man was also overwhelmed because he WOULD do such a thing, if the situation came around. For Konoha, Minato would use his child as the container. He couldn't blame Naru if she harbored a grudge against him. It would hurt, but that was a minor punishment than Minato believed he deserved. It wasn't enough to atone for his sins.

Nevertheless, the man was proud of his daughter. Against all odds, the unpredictable girl had climbed her way up to the top, achieving her dream to get the village to acknowledge her existence. Labeled as a dead last, Naru had endured the demeaning taunts like Jiraiya, and grew up to be a great ninja.

Even though the girl could've hated him, Kushina, and Konoha, she didn't. Naru's immense heart couldn't hold such hate, and Minato almost broke down at that point. Instead of carrying hatred, Naru carried on his and Kushina's dreams- the Orange Hokage was a great title- while continuing Jiraiya-sensei's legacy.

Jiraiya thought Minato was the child of the prophecy after Nagato 'died'. Perhaps he was in a way, to pave the road Naru would follow and inherit. Savior of the World, huh? Minato practically glowed when he heard about that moniker. His future-daughter's will of fire burned brightly, and bore the world onto her shoulders. She had this power or aura that screamed success and determination, and the proud father believed that his little girl would achieve her dreams. Under Naru's guidance, Minato had faith that the world could attain peace.

Forwarding to the present, the Yellow Flash slowly walked towards Naru. The time traveler watched his movements, a subtle wariness in her eyes. That really wounded Minato. He didn't like seeing the distrustful gaze his daughter used against him.

Once within reach of Naru, the nervous father crouched down, meeting the gaze of wide blue eyes that were similar to his own.

He surprised his future-child by hugging her. Naru didn't think her future-father would do that, after finding out the truth. Relief spread throughout her body, and the burdened girl hugged Minato back, clutching onto his form, tightly. The distraught sixteen-year-old-in-disguise tried hard not to cry, but the tears still fell. Once the dam broke, the strained time traveler bawled noisily onto her father's shoulder.

Minato continued to hold his daughter, in a silent comfort. He, too, tried not to cry, but a few teardrops slipped from his grasp. His brave daughter had endured the world, desperately struggling to hold all the loneliness to herself.

Minato was sorry for not being able to be there for Naru. He was sorry that Kushina did not survive to raise her. He was sorry that he made her a Jinchuriki. He was sorry that he left his little girl alone to face the cruel world so early. He was sorry for a hundred of other things, but that didn't ease his pain.

But this time, he would be there for his heroic little girl. She didn't have to shoulder everything by herself anymore. 'Daddy's here now,' Minato silently assured the sobbing child.

* * *

**Wah! I cried while I wrote this! It's just so sad!**

**almost 2000 words!**


	15. Families

**AN:**

**Hey! I'm back from school!**

**I can't believe Tobi turned out to be Obito! I mean, Obito was like Kakashi's age, and Tobi looked like an adult when Naruto was born! I don't get it!**

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for Naruto talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

Naru cried herself to sleep, with Minato carrying her into the Hatakes' home. Sakumo didn't say anything, so Kakashi didn't either. However, the boy was curious. He could obviously see the tear-streaked marks on her face. What had occurred outside that can cause the always-smiling girl to break down? She never looked like the sort to blubber or go into a depression. Plus, Minao looked a little frazzled, but pleased, as he held onto his sibling. Many questions ran through the genius' brain, but never uttered them vocally.

* * *

Then, Kakashi did what he always did after returning from school; training. Out in his backyard, the boy threw kunai and shuriken against dummies and randomly-placed targets. Whenever a projectile appeared to be a little off-center in his eyes, the child started the exercise all over again, until every single shot was perfected.

He also sparred against his father, using his strategic and combat expertise to try landing a hit on the great White Fang. Alas, Kakashi lost, as he knew he would. No matter how much he improved, he could never defeat his father. After continuously failing, Kakashi no longer expected to win against his father. Only the experience and training he gained truly mattered to him anymore. Sakumo knew that too, and it disappointed the man. Kakashi used to be overjoyed at the prospect of getting to 'defeat' his father. But now, only a miserable shell was left of his beloved child.

The boy was improving in Naru's presence, but if Kakashi himself didn't acknowledge and immerse himself in his emotions, it was a futile effort. Sakumo didn't know how to help his son. The child wouldn't talk to him anymore, so he had no way of knowing what the problem was. The father berated himself for not noticing his son's change before, leaving his young boy on his own.

* * *

Naru had woken up in time for dinner, and to the others, she seemed more composed than before. Minato was relieved to see his daughter back on her feet. He didn't like seeing her so exhausted and distressed. Sakumo was glad for the weary time traveler. She deserved to have her own chance at happiness; after all she'd been through. Kakashi couldn't understand how hyper Naru could get with a small nap. Evidently, something good must've happened to her when the Namikazes were outside. The lad just didn't know how much more of her cheeriness he could take.

All the males were stunned to see how much the girl ate, too. For a female, she could eat as much as an Akimichi! If she ate like this every day, Minato didn't know how he was going to be able to afford all the food! Sakumo was pretty much the same as his kohai. Just where did the girl pack it all? He felt pity for Minato, since he would be the one who had to pay for all the groceries.

And Kakashi, he watched as she shoveled down meal after meal, and noted blandly, "Pig."

The other men were shocked, and warily prepared for Naru's reaction.

"Nani?" Naru asked, confused by the boy's statement.

"I said you are a pig," Kakashi repeated in the same bland manner.

"So?" the confused girl wondered aloud, going back to gobble up her meal.

The males were surprised. Normally, someone of their opposing gender would be offended by these types of remarks. Yet, Naru wasn't affronted, even though she's a female. Kakashi was unsure as to how to respond to that.

The Yellow Flash came up with his own theory. He believed that since Naru had hung out more with boys, rather than girls, she mostly thought like a boy. It was frustrating to know that his daughter had been mostly surrounded by males all her life. From the Nara, Akimichi, and Inuzuka heirs to Killer B, 'Iruka-sensei', and this 'Yamato' person. All were GUYS! It was a miracle that Naru didn't completely turn out to be a mega tomboy. If the Yamanaka heiress and the Haruno-girl hadn't dragged her along with their girl 'things', Minato believed his daughter might've gotten a sex change!

The rest of the mealtime was eaten in silence, Naru devouring down her food, and the males off thinking about the alien that was Naru.

* * *

The Namikaze pair returned to their home at a sedate pace, walking through the deserting streets of Konoha. This time, nothing held the time traveler back from spilling everything to her father. The blonde genius couldn't deny the fact that Naru can no longer go back to her original time, anymore. The original timeline was already altered, so Naru's time was either destroyed or made into an alternate universe. The Rikkudo Sennin didn't seem like he was going to let his daughter return, too. She still had people to save, despite Minato's inner principles towards interfering with time.

That did NOT mean that he didn't want his little girl around. She was a petite, adorable, bucket of sunshine! She was the best of both him and Kushina, and inherited the red-head's love for ramen to boot! If Naru's appetite was really as enormous as tonight's, then his money was going to go down the drain, fast.

The blonde man, also, had yet to see his daughter fight, so he was unsure about how strong she really was. Her journey to the past may have left her sixteen-year old's capabilities, or brought them with her. But from what she had said about the water-walking exercise earlier, Naru had to train ALL OVER AGAIN.

This time, his daughter would have him to help her improve. Like Minato had desired for the future, he would teach his child the skills and jutsus she was denied in her other life. He looked forward to seeing his **Rasengan** being completed once more.

* * *

Inside the Namikazes' apartment, the pair of blondes got ready to go to bed. Naru had curled up against her father's chest in a fetal position, fists held firmly onto the other blonde's nightshirt. Minato stroked his daughter's hair as she fell into slumber.

Once he was sure she was asleep, the father kissed his daughter's temple, muttering a soft "Good Night" like the night before.

* * *

**For some reason, I can't seem to find synonyms for didn't know, couldn't, and wouldn't.**


	16. I'm flying!

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for Naru talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

The days had passed into weeks. During that time, Naru retrained her body with the **Kage bunshin**. In order to be inconspicuous, Sarutobi reckoned that it'd be wise to train in the Hokage training area. Minato, Jiraiya, and the Hokage were amazed by the numbers of clones. When the girl had said 'a lot' of clones, they thought maybe fifteen or thirty, not AT LEAST forty to sixty! It was an insane figure but Naru didn't seem to think so.

When the men asked her how many she could make, she just shrugged her shoulders and said in a nonchalant way, "Mah, maybe a hundred or two, with the reserves I have now."

To say such an outrageous number in a blasé tone, and not even looked concerned, the men were very stunned. If this was the current figure, then what would happen when Naru got back to her sixteen-year old strength?

Ignoring the others, the time traveler trained constantly through the weeks, trying to hurry and regain her lost skills. Jiraiya had let her (re)sign the Toad Contract, after being banned from the local hot springs. It was a funny meeting to most of the shinobi company.

Once her name was written on the scroll, Naru tried to summon some toads. "**Kuchiyose no jutsu**!" She roared, slamming a blood-stained hand onto the ground.

*POP*

In a huge puff of smoke, Gamabunta, Gamahiro, Gamaken, AND Ma and Pa appeared. "What the hell is this!" the Toad Boss bellowed through the clearing. The other toads were pretty much feeling the same thing. The Konoha they were seeing was NOT the one they knew. "Naruto! Get your ass over here! You've got some explainin' to do!" Gamabunta bellowed again, confused as hell to what was happening now.

"Ah! Oyabun, over here!" the summoner shouted happily, jumping up and down as she waved her arms up high.

All of the toads turned towards the voice's direction, and saw a... very small-looking Naruto. Ma and Pa leapt down to the ground and examined the girl with disbelief, "N-Naruto? What happened to you?"

She awkwardly laughed and said, "Well..." and began explaining her current situation to the elderly toads.

In the meantime, Minato, Sarutobi, and Jiraiya were all gob smacked with open jaws and bulging eyes. They were expecting ONE toad, not FIVE! Furthermore, three of them were the BIGGEST summons! Even Jiraiya and Minato couldn't do that!

Minato looked a little shocked, but mostly confused. How could the toads know Naru? Did her toad contract come with her, too?

The white-haired, super pervert looked like he was going to keel over in shock. This little girl from the future had summoned FIVE toads, and not even appeared to be tired! It was humiliating! Jiraiya also thought it was ironic because both father and daughter were on good terms with Gamabunta, while he butted heads with the Toad Boss. It was so unfair!

Maybe it was destiny. Pa was being quite vocal about it. He scolded Naru for messing with time, but quickly forgave her after she explained WHO had sent her back, and why. Thus, the girl restarted her sage training.

The other Toad Sage was envious of Minato's offspring. While she could enter the sage mode perfectly, Jiraiya still had amphibian characteristics. Naru only needed her clones to gather sen-chakra, whereas the elder man needed Ma and Pa.

Within just three days, Naru had re-mastered the sage mode and extended the amount of time she could use it. Jiraiya was practically bawling because his 'goddaughter' had surpassed him in things he couldn't. Despite the girl's real age, anyone younger than himself was considered a kid in his books. And Naru looked like a FOUR-year old. That DID NOT comfort the man at all! His student had a good laugh about his reaction, that traitor! Minato hadn't even gone through sage training, so who was he to mock his sensei? The boy's own DAUGHTER trounced him in something the heralded genius couldn't do!

But nonetheless, Jiraiya was proud of his future-apprentice. Like Minato, the Toad hermit nearly 'died' when he discovered that Naru was the final child of the prophecy. Out of the three children, Naru had been the closest to attaining world peace. Truly, her influence had assisted the other nations into coming together and forming the Shinobi Alliance with the samurais. Minato's enemies probably wouldn't even attempt to ally themselves with him, since hate and fear dominated their minds.

* * *

At first, Jiraiya couldn't accept that Orochimaru and Nagato had fallen to the sinister side. Orochimaru was his best friend, and showed no apparent signs of betrayal. Begrudgingly, the white-haired sennin could understand how Nagato felt about his view of peace. As a war orphan, Nagato had witnessed many deaths, which stemmed from negative emotions. Nagato was only human, and the boy believed that things could only be accomplished through suffering, or pain. However Jiraiya thought Nagato was a good kid! Why would he want to destroy Konoha?

Then, the Hokage informed his student that Danzo and Hanzo had joined forces to end the Ame rebellion. Now THAT, Jiraiya could believe. Danzo was a war hawk, and a greedy one at that. Even though he loved Konoha, the old prune possessed a very twisted version of that love.

After that, Jiraiya began investigating into Orochimaru and Akatsuki's activities. There was some evidence of Orochimaru's experiments, and a mercenary going by the name of Pain. The hermit could not deny the truth anymore.

He drowned his sorrows through sake, but there was a scar, swelling deep inside his heart. Orochimaru fell to the dark side a long time ago, so Jiraiya would not be able to save him. Hell, the toad hermit didn't believe that he could even save Nagato! He was too old to save anyone now, and that devastated the man.

But hearing about Naru's adventures in the future, Jiraiya still had hope. Even if Orochimaru was beyond rescuing, he had faith that the girl could save Nagato like she did before. She was a lot like her godfather, from dead last to great shinobi. Jiraiya just hoped that she wouldn't end up failing her own friend, and go into a depression. They both believed in peace, and strived to attain it.

So if anyone can possibly salvage the world, it would be Naru. Her golden heart and love for the world would assist others to believe in peace.

* * *

Now armed with the sage mode, Naru began to recreate the **Rasenshuriken**. It was something she had always wanted to show to her parents, godfather, and jiji. The downside was that her current body could not handle the sudden surge of large, incoming chakra, so she ended up being in and out of the hospital, often.

Much to the hospital staff's ire, the hyper girl would always try to escape from her hospital room. Plus, with their 'escape-proof' methods being not as refined as in the future, Naru ran away too often to their liking. Finally, they had no choice but to enlist Minato's help, because he was probably the only one who could catch her.

Originally, the Hokage had volunteered to watch over the girl for a few days. Yet, for some mysterious reason, he would always be found unconscious with a bloody nose. Just what did the girl _do_ that could harm their Hokage? It baffled the medics and when they asked, the Hokage had just coughed and said the girl used a kinjutsu. But what kind of kinjutsu could create such peculiar results? No one else would give a straight answer, either in a chuckling fit or evading the topic like it was taboo.

Then, Jiraiya of the Sannin had taken over, but his 'accidents' were similar to that of the Hokage's. When Minato had found out about the 'guard sedating', he was mortified. During a joint visit with his sensei, Naru had been prepared for the Ero-sennin's appearance, not her father's. So when she used the **Oiroke no jutsu** on the super pervert, Minato was welcomed to the sight of an older and NAKED version of his daughter.

Jiraiya, true to his perverted tendencies, had been knocked out with a bloody nose. Minato, though, wasn't affected by the... jutsu. Whether it was because he possessed moral principles, or was shocked because it was practically a naked version of his daughter, wasn't known. However, it was obvious that the Yellow Flash had been horrified by his daughter's... invention. While it was a useful technique for infiltrating and concealing, why did it have to look like an older form of Naru! She was practically flashing her nudity in public!

Minato could not let this continue, and reprimanded his daughter. He acted like a hysterical chicken, and Naru _had _to agree with him to get her father to calm down.

Since Minato was one of the only ones unaffected by the 'kinjutsu', the hospital staff had to ask him to watch over Naru. If she kept escaping to train, she'll encourage the possibility of chakra overload. Plus, with the famed **Hiraishin** under his belt, Naru had little chance of escaping again.

* * *

After a 'proper' recovery, Naru began working on her chakra control, or else she would keep going back to the hospital for her chakra problems. Sakumo and Kakashi were visiting after their own work out, when Naru decided to attempt the water-walking exercise on a lake. Kakkashi's eyes bulged wide when he saw his rival shoot up into the air, like a cannon ball. Akin to the tree-walking exercise, the chakra beast flew away from the water, and into the sky with a geyser of water jetting upward. Sakumo had fallen into a fit of laughter; while Minato ran around in hysteria whenever his daughter hadn't come back down fast enough.

To the airborne child, this was the coolest training exercise in the whole world! She was practically flying like a bird!

Whenever gravity decided to pull Naru back down, the excited girl would try to do stunts on her way back to the lake. But every time her father saw her returning head-first, he ruined her fun. He grabbed his daughter out of 'harm's way' often, and it annoyed her. Naru was a shinobi! If she couldn't save herself from a fall that _she_ caused, she wouldn't be the shinobi that she was now!

After Naru came down from her 'ride', Kakashi walked up and questioned her in an exasperated tone, "Just HOW do you have so much chakra? Even if you're Minato-san's sister, you couldn't possibly possess that much chakra at your age!"

Naru was in a bind. No matter how much she trusted 'Kakashi-sensei', this young-Kakashi wasn't him, yet. The time traveler couldn't possibly tell the boy the truth until he was older!

"Um... I'm just lucky, I guess," the girl replied lamely, face articulating an awkward smile.

Kakashi gave her a blank stare. There was no way he was going to believe that it was just LUCK that gave his rival loads of chakra! It made no sense! How could a four-year old girl own masses of chakra, NOW? Kakashi could understand if she was older, but as a FOUR-year old, it was ridiculous!

The boy was also seething inwardly. He had only begun the water-walking exercise recently, but the gap between him and his rival was expanding. Even if he had better control than her, it was mainly because of his small reserves. Once Naru grasps fine control over her chakra, she would be able to utilize as TWICE- no, TEN TIMES- as much chakra than he could! If he doesn't step up his training further, he'll be left in the dust!

"Hey, Kakashi, want me to show you a cool jutsu?" his rival's voice broke through his inner thoughts. Regardless of the fact that she was labeled an idiot, she was observant. She'd seen the way Kakashi became dejected, while watching her train, and thought that he'd like to learn something from the future.

Besides training with her father, Naru decided to go to the library, 'for once'. She looked up jutsus of interest, even ones not of her element. Since she had a lot more time to train, Naru chose to expand her repertoire of techniques. The girl started with low-level Katon jutsus that she could collaborate with the toads' oil jutsus, instead of relying on fuin tags. Although she could easily create her own seals, much to her **Fuinjutsu**-nut of a father's delight, there were always potential of something going amiss. Having as many set of skills as possible would be advantageous towards her survival.

Next, Naru had gone after Raiton jutsus. But, as it was slightly clashing with her wind nature, she had a more difficult time learning them. Though, if Naru remembered correctly, Kakashi-sensei was lightning natured, so he'd have fun learning new ration skills. Kurama also possessed years and years of knowledge, so finding a Raiton technique was no biggy.

"A jutsu? Why would you teach me one?" a wary Kakashi asked. One thing he learned from life was that no one offered something without expecting something else in return.

"Eh? Why wouldn't I?" a 'confused-looking' Naru wondered aloud. She knew what Kakashi was thinking. It was one of the things she had learned during the harder parts of her years. People didn't offer anything without their own personal gains. After gaining the Rookie Eleven as her friends, Naru discovered that there were people who would give without asking for anything in return. It was something she hoped Kakashi would learn with her here.

'Was she serious?' Kakashi though incredulously. She was going to give him a jutsu for 'no' reason? Nothing logical happened with his rival.

Not expecting a good jutsu, the boy relented with a bored tone, "Nothing. Just surprised. I don't mind learning a new technique."

Naru smiled brightly and shouted in a voice reminiscent to that of a certain spandex-kid, "Yosh! **Raiton: Kaminari Senbon no jutsu (Lightning release: Lightning Senbon)**!" The girl made a few hand signs, turned to point a chakra-laced finger towards a tree. A senbon-shaped lightning bolt escaped from the finger to pierce the tree, leaving a moderately deep hole on the trunk.

Kakashi's eyes were glued to that sight. He was very fascinated with the jutsu his rival just pulled out. His analytical brain could find several uses for that technique.

Naru turned to face Kakashi again, and spoke cheerfully, "This is a D-rank jutsu, so I think you can do it without risking chakra exhaustion. But you might want to practice it a few feet away from your target." The genius just nodded and went to his own little spot to practice.

Satisfied, the blonde girl went back to the lake to tackle the water-walking exercise, once more.

* * *

**Ugh. It was kind of hard to look for a lightning jutsu that would fit Kakashi's reserves. I don't know if the name of the jutsu is right either. Oh well.**


	17. Mommy's Here Too

**AN:**

**Kushina finally makes her appearance!**

******I was listening to an unreleased song on youtube, 'minato saves kushina', and the few seconds at the end of the video just ties in with the last ********scene. I also listened to 'thank you' by the same user- nflavour. If you read this ch., make sure to play them when the LAST part begins!**

**Btw, does anyone know any good **_**slow**_** Naruto ost's? Like rainy day from the Road to Ninja movie?**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

On that same day, a knock was heard on the Hokage's office door.

"Enter," Sarutobi voice rang across the room.

In came Uzumaki Kushina, Konoha's Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. The newly-identified woman smiled and reported in briefly, "Uzumaki Kushina, returning from a B-rank mission, Hokage-sama!"

Sarutobi smiled and gave a quick nod in approval. Inhaling the tobacco from his pipe, the man replied warmly, "Good work, Kushina. There were no difficulties, I hope?"

"Not at all. The missing-nins were eradicated like the mission dictates. I'll collect the bounties tomorrow," Kushina supplied with a glowing attitude.

"Good. You'll be given a few days off until your next mission, so rest well, Kushina," Sarutobi informed the kunoichi, with a smile.

The red-head smiled back and thanked the Hokage gratefully, "Arigato, Sandaime-sama," and left in a swirl of leaves.

Sarutobi grumbled as she left, complaining about how his ninjas can't seem to use the door.

* * *

Minato and Naru were napping after the afternoon with the Hatakes, curled up together on their apartment sofa.

Suddenly, Kushina barged into the home with a loud bang, startling both blondes awake. "I'm back, Minato!" the red-head sang happily. She trotted up to a sleepy-looking Minato, wanting to give him a kiss, until she saw Naru.

Blonde hair, check. Blue eyes, check. Minato-look-alike, check. REALLY YOUNG, check.

Even with her shinobi-mind, Kushina jumped to the 'half-wrong' conclusion. "Minato! You've got some explaining to do!" She exclaimed, starting to steam in anger.

The tired man suddenly became wide awake as the massive, killing intent his girlfriend was spewing. "M-Matte, Kushina! Calm down! It's not what you're thinking! This is my recently-found younger sister, Naru!" he stuttered out, pointing at his look-alike, sticking to the alibi Naru went with.

"Nani?" Kushina whispered in shock, dropping the killing intent.

Minato nodded frantically to convince his temperamental girlfriend. "Jiraiya-sensei found her a few weeks ago, out in Ame," he clarified slowly, eyeing the red-head warily.

"Really?" asked a skeptical Kushina. Her boyfriend was about to confirm it again, but Naru chose to intervene.

"Ne, Tou-chan, it's okay to tell her the truth," the girl offered to her nervous father.

Kushina misunderstood and thought Naru had meant that Minato lied. Well, he did, but with good reason that she wasn't aware of, yet. Entering her fuming temper again, the red-head cried out, "She's not your sister?! Minato!"

But her lover ignored her to ask Naru in concern, "Are you sure?" The time traveler nodded with certainty.

"What are you talking about?" the confused woman wanted to know.

The two blondes moved to face Kushina, and Minato began uncomfortably, "You might want to sit down for this, love."

* * *

Hours later, the unofficial Namikaze family sat with each other in the living room, retelling Naru's real life story.

"So... Naru is really Naruto- our daughter from twenty-something years in the future?" a slightly, disbelieving Kushina asked. It was a crazy story. Hanging out with Minato showed her that time travel wasn't impossible, just really rare and dangerous.

But now, Kushina could see how Naru could be their daughter. While the girl had Minato's looks, she possessed Kushina's eye-shape, and from what she can guess, her personality. The best of both parents. Her child carried on the will of fire and strived to achieve her dreams. The red-haired woman thought the Orange Hokage was a good title. The color that comes together from mixing yellow and red, just like her and Minato.

Kushina was also upset over the future. If she were ever to have children, the woman wished that her child would not have to endure the sufferings of being a Jinchuriki. Alas, it did not happen, and her daughter had to pay the price. With no family or friends until she became a genin, her child lived in the cruel world, alone. She was a horrible mother.

Naru, wanting to surely convince her mother, illustrated in a soft voice, "When I was learning to control the Kyuubi's chakra, I almost failed. But then, chakra chains locked him in place, and you appeared before me," gaining both of her parents' attention. The girl laughed joyfully, remembering her meeting with her mother. Taking a deep breath, Naru continued, "You helped me defeat him, with your words and feelings. 'Before you can house the beast, you must fill the vessel with love', right, Kaa-san?" a small smile lifting the girl's lips.

Kushina's eyes widened, stunned. Undoubtedly, those were the words she had learned from Mito-sama, just before the Kyuubi was sealed into her. No one except a fellow Jinchuriki would hear of them.

Additionally, Kushina's future-daughter spoke, "You also gave me other precious words. You remember, right? The precious words that you'll only give to those who compliment your beautiful hair." Now this time, both parents were shocked.

Then, slowly, those expressions melted into soft smiles.

Kushina laughed quietly in a content way, answering in a gentle voice, "That's right. No one except Minato has ever been given those words." Smiling tenderly with emotion, the red-head asked, "... Ne, Naru-chan, what do you think of my hair, now?"

Naru's face held a grin that reminded Kushina of Minato, and shouted happily, "It's really beautiful, Kaa-san!"

Kushina's heart beat warmly against her chest when she heard her daughter call her 'Kaa-san'. And on her cue, the mother replied affectionately, "I love you," staring straight into Naru's surprised eyes.

The time traveler's laughter filled the air; and the parents watched her as tears fell from her eyes, down to her cheeks. Naru tried wiping them away with her arms, but it was useless. Salty liquid fell one after another, and the girl's attempts were in vain.

In a trembling voice, Naru spoke sobbing, "I... I've heard all this before, but why… why am I still crying? I've gotten what I've always dreamed of. I was able to meet you guys like this. Instead of in dreams or my mindscape, I got to see you guys in reality... For years, I wondered whether I had parents who loved me or cared about me. Those days before I had Iruka-sensei and Jiji were lonely. Everywhere I went; those gazes and glares filled with hatred haunted me. It hurt. But when I met you guys in my seal, those were one my happiest moments in my life. So why? Why am I still crying like a baby now, 'ttebayo?"

Kushina's gaze softened at the verbal tick, and spoke thoughtfully, "**'ttebayo**? You really are my child. You've inherited my weird speech patterns." As Naru continued to cry, Kushina got up from her seat to sit next to her daughter. Naru leapt into the red-head's arms, grasping tightly onto her mother's back.

Glancing at the girl's shaky form, Kushina embraced her daughter, slowly stroking her blonde locks. Her little girl endured so much pain and suffering. Naru could've rejected her and Minato, but she didn't. Her daughter's heart didn't seem capable of holding everlasting hate. Truly, Naru possessed a heart of gold that would assist her to become the Savior of the World, achieving the peace Jiraiya, Minato, and she believed in. 'Mommy's here,' Kushina cooed tacitly, holding her daughter tightly against her chest.

Minato had also come over and embraced both of his girls, completing this family's hug. It was a glorious moment for them all.

In a long time, Naru felt the warmth her parents emitted. Naru unrelentingly wept for her own blessings, to be able to embrace her parents and fill in that empty chapter of her life. Every day, she wished to experience a life the other village children had, to have parents. For years, no mother or father appeared, until those moments when she was sixteen. They were the happiest memories of her life. After sixteen years, she got her wish granted, and met her parents.

Until now, Naru never thought she would be able to live a life filled with her mother and father. She believed she would forever go on with little memories. That she would come home to an empty apartment, as she always had. To never experience eating, sleeping, and joking around with her parents until they couldn't anymore.

Naru wept for the second chance she had been given. With Kushina and Minato embracing her, like it should've been on the day she was born.

* * *

**Man! I cried when I wrote the ending! T^T**


	18. Rasenshuriken

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

For the first time in sixteen years, Naru had felt what she had always envied of the village children. After the family's little moment, her mother had a brilliant idea that they should go celebrate with ramen! Obviously, Naru was very excited about that. There was no way she was going to pass up ramen!

Minato on the other hand, was annoyed by the two ramen junkies. He didn't hate ramen, but he wasn't a hardcore fanatic like his precious girls. The man just sighed for the impending grief, and hoped that he wouldn't be the one to end up paying for all this. With two enormous appetites, he would be broke in no time! No thank you!

* * *

For the two ramen junkies, they ended up arguing over ramen flavors as they ate.

"Ah~!" Naru sighed happily. "Miso's the best, 'ttebayo!" the girl declared, smiling dazzlingly with satisfaction.

Kushina shook her head in disappointment, feeling sorry for the _naive _soul. The red-head disagreed in a pitying tone, "You're delusional, dear Naru-chan. The best flavor in the world is definitely beef!" she finished with a fire burning in her pupils.

"Nani! No way. It's definitely miso! What can compare to the rich and delectable taste of miso?" the blonde junkie cried out defensively.

"What do you mean, 'rich and delectable flavor'?" Kushina gasped, aghast by the proclamation. "Beef is the one with the lush and mouth-watering tang! _That_ could beat your miso any day!" she retorted, angry by the way Naru dissed the almighty, beef-flavored ramen.

"Blasphemy! Miso's the best!" Naru persisted with reverence.

"Iya! Beef!" Kushina snapped; face twisted in an irritable scowl.

"Miso!" Naru snapped back, leaning her head forward to 'shove it' in her mother's face.

"Beef!" her mother argued, connecting her forehead with her daughter's. Their eyes jutted lightning back and forth, and the two bared their teeth menacingly.

Minato just sat back and looked on with a hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. It'll never end!

"That's some fight eh, Minato?" a gruff voice spoke next to said blonde.

"Hah... I can't believe this tension is over a bowl of noodles, sensei," the younger man complained to newly-identified Jiraiya.

The elder of the two just chuckled and imparted some words of 'wisdom', "Gaki, women are fickle creatures. You can't reason with them."

"Hoh~. I guess that comes from your own experiences, ne~, Ero-sennin," a nearby Naru remarked bluntly, face expressing a blank look.

Jiraiya's head popped out a vein, and he irately whined to the blonde girl, "Stop calling me that!"

Kushina, who stood next to her daughter, guffawed, and strangled out from her laughter-induced voice, "E-Ero-Sennin! T-That's a perfect name for you, you pervert!"

The insulted man gazed towards his student for support, but found the boy laughing at him, too. Looking betrayed, Jiraiya complained, "Minato, you traitor! You're supposed to be on my side!"

"G-Gomenasai, sensei, but it's true. The name fits you," the chuckling blonde apologized with a sheepish smile.

The white-haired male hmphed and turned away from the chortling couple.

Naru, meanwhile, had gone back to eating, savoring her noodles as she vacuumed them up.

* * *

"Ah~! That was a great meal!" the blonde ramen junkie chirped contently.

"I agree!" Kushina cheered along, grinning as she walked hand-in-hand with her daughter.

Behind the two, Minato was weeping for his very thin wallet. He had saved up so much cash, and now, it's gone. All gone!

Jiraiya followed beside his student, patting the youth's back in sympathy.

Naru stretched out the kinks in her upper body and announced to the adults, "I should go back to training. See ya'll later!"

She was about to leave with a wave, but her father had grabbed onto the back of her shirt collar.

"Not so fast, Naru-chan. I'm going with you, remember? We don't want you overdoing things again. I doubt you want to go back to the hospital," the blonde man informed his reckless daughter with a firm voice.

"Eh? But don't you have missions?" Naru asked.

"Not for today. Until you can control and use your chakra properly, Sandaime-sama is letting me off-duty, unless something urgent comes up," Minato replied simply.

"Hmm," Naru vocalized with closed eyes and suddenly went into hyper mode. Eyes wide with excitement, the girl exclaimed gleefully, "Anyways, I think I can do the **Rasenshuriken** this time!"

"**Rasenshuriken**?" Kushina wondered out loud, "You mean the jutsu you talked about, back at home?" she asked with bewildered eyes.

Naru nodded enthusiastically and grinned while informing her mother, "I trained hard to get my chakra control good enough to use it. I think I can do it now."

Her mother's eyes brightened in anticipation and declared, "I'm going too! I wanna see it!"

"Oi! Don't forget about me!" Jiraiya chimed in, wanting to finally witness the completed **Rasengan **in action.

With an earnest fist pump in the air, Naru yelled out in excitement, "Yosh! Let's go!"

* * *

Ironically, they went to training ground seven. The adults stood by the log posts, while Naru took a position in the middle of the clearing. Creating two clones, she began gathering sen-chakra to enter the sage mode. Next, the girl started creating a regular **Rasengan**, and with the aid of her clones, the technique gradually transformed into the shape of the **Rasenshuriken**.

The adults observed its creation in fascination. No matter what Minato did, he couldn't get the technique to work with his nature and shape manipulation. A bell-like screech rang through the air, and the ninjas could see a **Rasengan** with fuma shuriken edges. What surprised them the most was that Naru had _thrown_ the jutsu, straight into the cluster of trees.

With a big burst of chakra, the earth shook, and clouds of dust filled the clearing. There was a distant booming noise in the adults' ears, but they pushed it back into the depths of their mind. They were more concerned about the 'damage' Naru's **Rasenshuriken** had caused. The ninjas gaped at the site where the cluster of trees used to be. A huge radius of destruction reigned where the trees once stood, shredded beyond recognition. A giant crater replaced the trees, deep enough to fill a small lake.

A moment passed and the Hokage arrived with ANBU squads, along with some alert jounins. "What's going on here?" demanded a wary Sarutobi. He had felt the surge of chakra and heard the great booming sound several miles away.

Naru grinned triumphantly and exclaimed to her 'grandfather', "Jiji! I did it! I can use the **Rasenshuriken** again!" Her toad pupils were noticeable to the surrounding shinobi, signifying her success in the sage arts.

As the other shinobi murmured and conversed in astonishment, Sarutobi's eyes bulged, and shouted incredulously, "THAT was what had caused all this?!" He waved a flailing hand towards the new crater on the training grounds.

Naru rubbed the back of her head in a sheepish manner, and informed the stunned elder, "Um... I forgot to tell you how deadly it is, Jiji. If it wasn't for the sage mode, I wouldn't be able to use it. I think it's ranked a kinjutsu."

All of the shinobi present- including Jiraiya, Kushina, and Minato- had their jaws dropped open in shock. To the ANBU and surrounding jounins, they couldn't believe that a FOUR-year old child could use so much chakra and not look winded. She was also able to use a 'kinjutsu' that created a big hole in the ground, and only looked _slightly_ embarrassed about it.

For those who knew the truth about Naru, they were stunned by how much chaos this completed **Rasengan** had produced. When Future-Tsunade labeled it a kinjutsu, she was serious. With the effects of the technique, and the cellular drawbacks, the **Rasenshuriken** could easily be marked as a forbidden skill.

Minato and Kushina's offspring just couldn't seem to do things the easy way, Sarutobi concluded mournfully. He was going to get SO much paperwork!

Clearing his throat to bring back order, Sarutobi advised the unpredictable child, "Naru-chan, it'll be wise if you tell me when you're training with destructive techniques like this one, next time, so the ninjas on duty could be warned. It also might be better to use a _different _training area than this one," he spoke, emphasizing on 'different' to remind the girl of _where _she was supposed to train future jutsus.

Getting the message, Naru sang cheerily, "Hai~!"

Then, the Hokage and his entourage left, leaving the original members alone, once more. Jiraiya's jaw hadn't closed back up, frozen in shock. Minato and Kushina were starry-eyed by the **Rasenshuriken**, and proud of their daughter's achievements.

By the end of the day, the rest of Konoha had learned of Naru's 'new' jutsu.

* * *

**Yeah. I thing I'm confused w/ is the Mini-Rasenshuriken. Does it have the same effects and drawbacks like the normal Rasenshuriken?**


	19. Kakashi's Bday

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

Several days went by, and now, it was a great afternoon on September 15. However, one Hatake Kakashi was in a displeased mood. Through the grapevine, he had heard about Naru's **Rasenshuriken**. On that fateful day, many of the villagers had felt the enormous surge of chakra, including Kakashi. The Hokage went to investigate the strange occurance, and when he came back with a calm disposition, everyone else went on with their lives again. Then, by the end of that day, there was a great deal gossip about how powerful Naru's **Rasenshuriken **was supposed to be, how much chakra it required, and how much of a _genius _the Yellow Flash's sister was.

The silver-haired genius became a little pissy because his rival had, once again, one up'd him. So, to release his pent up emotions, Kakashi was currently practicing his taijutsu, trying to obliterate the poor training post.

"Whoa! What did the log ever do to you?" the unexpected voice of the boy's rival asked close by.

Kakashi stopped his onslaught and turned to face the object of his... negative affections, at the moment. "What are you doing here?" he questioned monotonously, ignoring Naru's comment.

Said girl rocked, back and forth, on her heels, and chirped conversationally, "Sakumo-jisan wanted me to tell you that me, nii-chan, Kushina-neechan, Sarutobi-jiji and his family, and Asuma's friends are coming over for dinner."

"Why?" the boy asked in puzzlement. What was the occasion?

All Naru did was shrug her shoulders in the universal gesture for 'I don't know', and replied, "Why don't you ask him? It's almost time to eat, anyways."

Kakashi sighed at his rival's casual answer, and straightened his clothes to go home with her in tow.

* * *

The two children walked up to open the Hatake home's front door, and one of them wasn't prepared for the sudden assault with confetti and streamers. Kakashi was loudly greeted with cheers and shouts of "Happy Birthday," stunned out of his senses. Minato, Kushina- who held a camera- and his father were by the wall, with Jiraiya of the Sannin standing next to them. The Hokage and his family were by the couches; and Asuma's friends were standing up, holding empty streamer containers.

The apparent birthday boy was very confused. What was going on? Then, someone pushed him forward, causing the genius to stumble. Kakashi looked behind him to see a widely grinning Naru, exclaiming, "Happy Birthday, Kakashi!" popping a streamer container.

The boy's eyes widened in realization, and figured out that today was his FIFTH birthday! Out loud, Kakashi asked hoarsely, "But how? Why?" unable to comprehend the reason this was happening. True, it's his special day, but why was everyone else here?

Naru couldn't tell him that she knew his birthday because he was her future-sensei, so she lied cheerfully, "I asked Sakumo-jisan. You were being a little distant, so I decided to have you socialize on your birthday! You can't escape now!" the grinned wider, if possible. Followed by the babblings, "Sarutobi-jiji overheard us when he came to visit the other day. So, he thought that he and his family should join in. Then, Anko heard about it from Asuma, so she decided that everyone else should come, too. I think she only came for the food though."

Kakashi sweatdropped at the last comment. The Hokage chuckled merrily and walked up to the birthday boy, ruffling his head in welcome. "It would do you good to be around children your age,ne, Kakashi?" Sarutobi warmly addressed the boy with a smile.

All Kakashi could do was nod, then remembered to bow in thanks, "Arigato gozaimasu, Sandaime-sama," he spoke in a low tone. The now-five-year old child never had a birthday like this, since his mother passed away. He didn't want to bother his father while the man grieved for his deceased wife. Kakashi also no longer found reason to celebrate as he got older, since it just became another day in his dull life.

Now this bubbly girl appears, breaking the black-and-white life he lived, fixated that they should celebrate his birthday with a big party! It was overwhelming for the lonely boy. He could see many smiling and grinning his way, some choosing to stick with their calm expressions.

Kakashi thought he was on his own in this life; where no one could ever dream to understand him, but then, these people suddenly show up. Minato and Kushina, he knew, loved his father, but Jiraiya of the Sannin and the Hokage? He didn't expect them at all! And Sarutobi Asuma, with his little group of friends? Kakashi thought they hated him. Even if they were forced to come here, those kids could've stuck with distant attitudes, but they smiled instead! Was he mistaken to think that he had no one?

This time, his inner child broke through the cold facade he wore, few teardrops of elation falling under the boy's mask, but only the sharp-eyed ninjas noticed them. Turning to the girl who made this all seem possible, Kakashi thanked her in a croaky tone, trying to hide his joyous sobs, "Arigato, Naru," eyes crinkling to form eye-smiles.

"No problem!" the girl chirped, pleased by the slow transform Kakashi's character was going through. She was glad that she could help her future-sensei come out of his shell. Trotting up to him, Naru embraced Kakashi firmly. Her dear, old sensei looked like he need a hug. Murmuring softly so only he could hear, she spoke, "You can see them, can't you? The people here to celebrate your birthday?" The boy nodded, voice silent, because of the sudden hug. He could see them all, watching him, no malice or hate present in their eyes. Naru went on gently, "They're here for you, ya'know? They're here to laugh with you, to have fun with you, and to just be with the boy named Kakashi. Not the cold and distant, genius schoolboy. So, in front of all these people, instead of showing that bitter side of you, you should show them a happy Kakashi, ne?" her voice soothing the boy's lonesome soul.

"Un," Kakashi murmured in agreement, slowly wrapping his arms around Naru. Besides his parents, the boy never knew that someone could be so warm. Maybe it was just him?

* * *

Meanwhile, Minato and Gai gazed at the embracing children in indignation. That was NOT what they wanted to see.

Biwako- the Hokage's wife- and Kushina were cooing at the sight, the latter taking as many pictures as she could. Jiraiya giggled perversely, scribbling frantically onto his notepad, chanting "Research," over and over. Minato heard that and squawked in alarm, scampering to grab his perverted sensei's notepad. The pervert dodged the attempt upon his _precious_ notes, which made Minato try harder to take away the damn thing. It ended up being a game of cat and mouse between the two, and the others switched their attention to them, instead of Naru and Kakashi.

* * *

The two hugging children held onto each other for another moment, before Naru stepped back first. Sheepishly, she apologized to the boy, "Gomen, Kakashi. I forgot to get you a present when I was planning all this."

The birthday boy shook his head in dissent, disagreeing gently, "Iya... You gave me a really great gift, Naru," eye-smiles completely back on.

"But I still feel bad," Naru protested weakly. Her mind was racing through ideas, trying to figure out what to give him.

*BING*

Then, a light bulb went off in her head. "It's not much, but happy birthday, Kakashi!" the girl exclaimed merrily, kissing the unmasked part of the boy's cheek.

A gurgled shriek filled the air and the two twisted around to look at a horrified Minato and Gai, a camera-wielding Kushina, a giggling Jiraiya, and other stunned spectators. The children under scrutiny began turning a deep red color, and Naru tried to explain her actions. "M-matte!" she stuttered out, "Don't misunderstand! It's his birthday present because I forgot to get him one!"

Minato strangled out a distressed response, "With a-a k-kiss!?" paling a pasty-white.

"Yeah, so?" his daughter snapped, confused to why her father was acting this way.

Minato, in all of his overprotective-daddy glory, whizzed up to his daughter, attempting to 'reason' with her 'insane' logic. "N-Naru-chan, you could've given him a jutsu scroll, a new kunai set, anything except... except THAT!" he hysterically went on, shaking the poor girl, desperately trying to 'return her to her senses'. It made Naru very dizzy.

Kushina, deciding her daughter had enough, tugged the distraught daddy away, chirping gleefully, "Good job, Naru-chan!" with a thumbs-up.

Sakumo, unexpectedly, commented, "Nice catch, son," much to the boy's embarrassment.

Minato was appalled and declared frantically, "No! My little Naru-chan is too young for marriage! She had to be AT LEAST forty before she can date!"

The others sweatdropped in response. Jiraiya put an arm around his distressed student's shoulders and couldn't help but say, "Kid, can't you just see that budding romance? They'll get together before you know it!"

Minato gasped in horror and shouted in denial, "No! That boy will never get Naru-chan! I forbid it!" while hysterically tugging on his hair.

Gai was in a similar boat with the distraught daddy. 'That Kakashi! He's one step ahead of me! With that cool and hip attitude, he's bewitched the beautiful flower! He's my eternal rival from now on!' the spandex-kid proclaimed in his head. He pumped his fists enthusiastically and his friends sweatdropped. They could totally see his intentions. Poor Kakashi.

* * *

As Naru intended, Kakashi began to mingle as Future-Kakashi would. Although, Gai may have started their rivalry a little earlier than she thought he was supposed to.

Gai had gone up to the birthday boy earlier, pointing at the silver-head with a forefinger, shouting 'youthfully', "You! You are now my eternal rival! Prepare yourself! I challenge you for the heart of the beautiful maiden!"

Like in his future-self, Kakashi turned towards the spandex-child, saying apologetically, "Hm? Did you say something?" But this time, Kakashi actually meant it. Future-Kakashi used to say those phrases to ignore Gai, but this Kakashi didn't know about the bowl-cut's tendencies… yet.

And as similarly as in the future, Gai looked offended and announced with an agonized voice, "Gah! Curse you and your hip attitude, Kakashi!"

The other children sweatdropped again, dumfounded by the little scene. Kakashi was baffled, and turned to ask Naru, "What's with him?"

The time traveler chortled amusedly and replied, "I think he just made you his eternal rival. The way I see it, he won't let you go for a _long _time."

The Hatake appeared annoyed and cried out in anguish, "No way! I don't want to deal with him forever! Do something!"

Naru patted Kakashi's back in sympathy and spoke _regretfully,_ "I wish I could, but Gai looks like he means _eternal,_ Kakashi."

"Liar! Your lips are twitching! You think this is funny, don't you!" the genius accused heatedly.

"I can't help it! It's really funny!" Naru defended herself, and soon fell into a fit of laughter.

Next, Asuma came over to pat Kakashi's back, and spoke in a sympathetic tone, "Work hard, dude. Gai's really 'passionate' when he wants to be." Like Naru, the young Sarutobi boy ended up in a laughing fit as well. Soon, all of the other children followed suit, aggravating the birthday boy. They were all sadists, the bunch of them.

"Mah, don't worry about it, Kakashi. Just ignore the... 'youthfulness' like you did today, and everything will be A-okay!" Naru encouraged earnestly, giving the irritated boy a thumbs-up.

In a deadpan tone, Kakashi stated, "I don't believe you."

* * *

With the adults, they sat around the kitchen table, observing the children. Kushina had to hold Minato back so he wouldn't fly over to 'rescue' Naru. It didn't help that Jiraiya was intentionally egging his student on, either. No one else was willing to help the woman, much to her dismay.

"Minato, relax! They're just kids!" Kushina snapped at her edgy boyfriend.

Minato whipped his head her way and frenziedly exclaimed, "Relax! How can I relax! Kakashi's too close to Naru than he should be! And that spandex-kid. Can't you see the goo-goo eyes he's making! Naru's too young for boyfriends!" he pointed to each boy as he mentioned them.

Jiraiya commented gleefully, he couldn't help but tease his student, "Damn! Naru's only four and she's already attracting boys. You're going to have a rough time when she's older, Minato. If she looks anything like that Oiroke jutsu of hers, you'll have to beat runts away with a kunai!"

Just like the man predicted, Minato went pale as a ghost, his soul seemingly escaping his 'vacant' body.

"Oiroke jutsu?" Kushina asked curiously. All of the males, except Sakumo, went pallid like Minato, sweating bullets.

"Ah-haha. You see… Naru made a special henge that truly transforms the user into a woman," Jiraiya stuttered vaguely. He SO did not want to deal with a pissed off woman.

"Special henge?" Biwako queried, also curious.

Sakumo, wanting to get the drama over with, said bluntly, "Ask Naru."

The women glanced at each other and stood up to stride into the living room.

Jiraiya, Minato, and Sarutobi rounded on the silver-haired man, once the women were out of range. Jiraiya hissed anxiously, "Oi! Why'd you do that? They'll get angry!" The other two nervous men nodded in agreement.

Sakumo raised a brow and asked, "Don't you want this over with now, instead of later?"

"Later," came the simultaneous replies. Sakumo snorted and rolled his eyes at the pansies.

* * *

"Hey Naru-chan!" Kushina called out, Biwako beside her. The children turned to look at them.

"Nani?" the blonde girl replied, tilting her head slightly in question.

"Jiraiya-sama said you knew some kind of Oiroke jutsu, and that you might look like it in the _future_. Could you show it to us?" her mother requested intriguingly.

Naru grinned evilly and made a hand sign. "**Oiroke no jutsu**!" she shouted, disappearing in a puff of smoke. Once the smoke cleared a little, a busty and NAKED blonde woman replaced Naru.

The effect was instantaneous. Genma, Raido, Gai, Jiraiya, and the Hokage were knocked out with nosebleeds. Sakumo watched the proceedings in amusement, while Minato paled again and looked away. Kurenai, Anko, and Biwako were blushing up a storm in embarrassment. Kushina, on the other hand, appeared to be absolutely fanscinated.

She grabbed the henge's boob, squeezing it, eliciting a small moan from Naru. "Don't squeeze it. It's sensitive," the transformed girl spoke in a sensuous manner.

* * *

Kakashi was frozen, along with Asuma. The young Sarutobi boy's jaw dropped wide open, his eyes bulging from their sockets. The birthday boy was pretty much the same, but a small blush made its way across his hidden cheeks. Was this how Naru would look in about twelve years time? H-how... bold! Kakashi almost had a nosebleed when the naked, older version of Naru moaned.

He shook his head franticly, attempting to dispel dirty thoughts. He was only five! He shouldn't be having these thoughts!

* * *

Kushina was estatic about this technique. Minato didn't seem affected by Naru, but what if his girlfriend did it? Would his reaction be the same as Jiraiya's? Imagining Minato passing out with a nosebleed was hilarious! Kushina just HAD to learn this!

The red-head was also surprised to discover that Naru had created this for pranking purposes. It seems like her child had inherited more than what she initially thought. Akin to her daughter, Kushina grinned evilly in anticipation.

Minato could not help but shiver for his impending doom.

* * *

**Phew! What a long ch.!**


	20. Prank Days 1

**AN:**

**I don't know if I mentioned this b4, but Naru will call her mom and dad 'sister and brother' in public. When they're alone, it'll be mom and dad.**

**And, I forgot which fanfiction this was from, but I based one prank of it from Day Two.**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

Konoha got little rest for about a week. Somehow, Uzumaki Kushina, Namikaze Naru, Sarutobi Asuma and his friends, and Uchiha Obito were locked in a fierce prank war. Somewhere along the way, Hatake Kakashi joined in on the _fun_; initially **3 vs. 6 **then, **4 vs. 6**. Asuma and his friends were dubbed _Team Awesome_- Anko wanted Team Dango-, while the prankster queen and princess were teamed up with Obito and Kakashi- dubbed _Team Ramen_. Obito had no problems with the name, but Kakashi did; he didn't want to be labeled as a 'Ramen' member. The boy couldn't understand why his teammates can't seem to pick out normal names. But until the third day, the Hatake had declined Naru's invitation to participate in the 'silly games'.

On the first day of the 'war', the female members of Team Ramen organized a trap for Team Awesome. Using future-Izumo's **Suiton: ****Mizuame Nabara**** no jutsu (Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field)**, Naru stuck Team Awesome- Team Ramen personally called them Team _Asshole_- to the ground, and Obito threw glue and paint onto his 'enemies'. Kushina used her **Chakra Chains **to dump buckets of feathers onto the gooey children, attaching a special seal that would make Team Awesome cluck like chickens for the rest of the day.

"Bock! Bock Bock! (What the hell!)" Anko screamed in alarm.

"Ba-cack! (My voice!)" Genma cried in shock. No babe would talk to him if this stayed!

Asuma and his friends were panicking because they couldn't remove the seal, ending up talking in bocks and clucks for the remainder of the time. As they walked home, the children were laughed at, much to their humiliation.

They vowed revenge!

* * *

**DAY TWO:**

In retaliation for Day One, Team Awesome executed a simple prank, consisting of mega-itching powder and neon paint-filled balloons. Somehow, Team Awesome bribed Jiraiya to throw the balloons at Naru and Kushina during their most vulnerable moment, surprising the pair.

Obito was hit during school, scratching and twitching while covered in bright, pink paint from head-to-toe. None of his classmates or teachers would look his way, eyes hurting from staring at him for more than three seconds. It was the same for Naru, but she was oddly happy to be covered in neon orange paint, much to Team Awesome's disappointment. The Hokage couldn't give Kushina a mission because her painted-self would discredit the village's image to potential clients, so she went home, grumbling and muttering obscenities.

Frustrated since he had been given an itch in a... private area, Obito retaliated by having Naru embed a prank seal in each of Team Awesome member's classes. When the seals went off, a myriad of colors and patterns covered everything in its range. The blonde prankster programmed the tags to change colors every second, which applied onto everything else that got 'tagged'. Every animate victim had to move outside, since looking EVERYWHERE made all of them nauseous.

However, it appeared that the prank seal was still a prototype. For a weird reason, Asuma's hair remained BRIGHT neon pink, while the rest of his body changed color as it should have. Anko had no obvious defections on her person, but if one looked very closely, they could totally see her finger nails and toe nails painted a mixture of green and yellow. Genma and Raido both had Rudolph-red noses, and panda-like spots that shifted from neon colors to more neon colors. Gai was like every other _normal_ victim, but was currently in the infirmary because he fainted from dizziness. And miraculously, Kurenai had been called to the teachers' lounge, so she had escaped the paint invasion.

As a result of the prank, school had been let out early. None of the authorities found out who set up the seal, but they could narrow down two main groups- Team Awesome and Team Ramen. When they finally questioned Naru, she wouldn't give a straight answer without falling into a fit of laughter, so they had no choice but to call on Minato.

When the sealing expert came to look at the problem, he guffawed loudly, seeing Naru and a visiting Kushina attempt to scratch in hard to reach places, earnestly. He wouldn't stop until his girlfriend threatened to burn his **Fuinjutsu **notes. Those were his Icha Icha!

* * *

**EVENING BEFORE DAY THREE:**

Kakashi couldn't drive off his curiosity any longer, and asked Naru why she chose to participate in these silly endeavors. Her answer was not what the boy expected.

"Eh? You didn't know? Pranking shinobi-style is the same thing as training," the blonde girl responded, mystified that a genius like Kakashi had not known of the benefits of pranking.

"Training?" the supposed-genius repeated in question, furrowing his brows to show his incredulity.

Naru nodded cheerily, and expanded, "Uh-huh! It improves my stealth, trapping, speed, endurance, and evading skills. I think there was more, but that's all I got at the moment," the girl listed each as she counted her fingers.

Kakashi's eyes widened at the advantages of such training. Besides bringing entertainment to herself, his rival practically enhanced her shinobi skills! Why hadn't he thought of such a thing sooner!

Making up his mind, the five-year old spoke to this ingenious girl, "Hey, Naru," said girl 'hmming' in response, still packing pranking equipment, as she listened. "Can I join in?" Kakashi requested innocently, eye-smiles in place.

This time, Naru turned to look at the boy, surprise written on her face. "I thought you said no? You didn't want to last time," she thoughtfully pointed out, curiosity slipping in her voice as she spoke.

Eye-smiles still intact, Kakashi simply stated, "I've changed my mind."

"I don't mind, but Kushina-neechan and Obito's on the team," Naru informed him, scratching the back of her head as she contemplated on the information.

'That always-late Obito?' Kakashi thought dumfounded. He mentally warred with his feelings, and then sighed. The things he sacrificed for his welfare. Out loud, the Hatake answered calmly, "It's fine. I don't care if Obito's on the team," betraying nothing behind his mask.

"Great!" the blonde girl chirped joyfully. "Let's go!" she exclaimed with a fist pumped into the air in excitement.

**. . .**

**EARLY MORNING OF DAY THREE:**

Most of Konoha were still asleep, including those of Team Asshole- I mean, Team _Awesome_. For Kushina and Naru, they were currently on a 'mission'. Discussing a prank with all of Team Ramen, yesterday, the sealing experts developed a new sealing tag that would turn someone into their opposing gender. Obito suggested they should place the seals on an inconspicuous part of the enemies' bodies. Kakashi supposed that the seal should be placed on the back of the enemies' ears, under their feet, or on the back of their ankles.

An interesting thing about these seals was that, with the skills of Naru and Kushina, the arrays could be applied directly on an object, instead of _both_ the paper and formula. In addition, the pranking queen and princess chose to use 'sake' washable ink, instead of plain water washables.

Hence, at around five in the morning, the mother and daughter duo snuck around Konoha's residents. How did they know where each of Team Awesome's members lived? They cheated by abusing Naru's sage mode, increasing the girl's sensing range. It was difficult to bypass ANBU security for the Sarutobi residence, but Kushina seemed to know an operative on duty. Revealing Team Ramen's plan for revenge, the other ninjas were about to break out in laughter. However, they couldn't because that went against ANBU protocol. They also _shouldn't _be letting the 'intruders' pass, except this was an entertaining situation. And with the ANBU's permission, Kushina and Naru 'successfully bypassed security', entering Asuma's room to place the seal on his body. Mission complete~!

**FEW HOURS LATER:**

The sun shined vibrantly on Konoha, birds chirping into the fine morning. Then, at around seven a.m., several tormented screams filled the air, startling many birds into flight.

The Hokage barged into Asuma's room and demanded anxiously, "What's wrong?" Was there an enemy?

Biwako and Asuma's brother came into the room as well, but froze in their steps when they caught sight of their family member. Before them was a female... Asuma. Despite the gender swap, it was quite easy to tell who it was, the spiky hair and facial structure giving it away.

'Asuma' turned towards 'his' father with teary eyes and cried out in anguish, "Jiji! It's- It's GONE!"

Confused, 'his' father asked, "What's gone… Asuma?"

"M-my," the child began brokenly.

"'My'?" the elder repeated in uncertainty.

"My balls are GONE!" Asuma wailed in hysteria.

There was a total silence for about a minute.

Then Biwako started cracking up in mirth, soon followed by the rest of her family. Asuma was mortified. It was SO not funny!

**. . .**

Similar things happened to the rest of Team Awesome's members. Genma took one look in the mirror, and hastily checked for his 'manly' parts. When he found them gone, and flat chest now sporting twin boobs, the boy promptly fainted in shock.

Raido wouldn't leave the house, muttering on about how cruel life was, withering away like a fragile flower.

Gai was horrified, yelling, "How unyouthful! Who would do such a thing? How shameful and tragic! But my burning FIRE of YOUTH will not diminish by this treacherous act!"

With Kurenai, she went running to Anko's house as soon as she saw her appearance. When the two transformed girls locked eyes, they noticed what happened to the other. Both screamed in terror, tugging on their now short hair.

**. . .**

Team Ramen were snickering in glee. They took photos of their deeds to keep as memories for anyone who wanted to see them *cough*blackmail*cough*. Kakashi's sadistic side surfaced, basking in Team Ass-_Awesome_'s pain. The boy got his revenge on them for 'abandoning' him on his birthday. He didn't want to do any more challenges from Gai!

Naru's voice suddenly went up an octave, having an epiphany, "Ah!"

"What's wrong, Naru-chan?" Obito asked, alarmed by the abrupt yell.

"Nothing really, but wouldn't it be fun to turn Ero-sennin into a girl?" the blonde suggested mischievously.

"Ero-sennin?" Obito wondered aloud. Who the hell was Ero-sennin?

"Yeah. Jiraiya," the Uchiha's partner clarified with an afterthought. Obito's eyes widened in shock. Naru called one of the Sannin 'Ero-sennin'! How fearless was this girl?

Kushina chortled in delight and agreed happily, "Let's do it! That baka deserves a good whack!"

Kakashi ruined the mood by pointing out blandly, "There's a reason why he's one of the Sannin, you know."

"That's true," a deflated Obito said in disappointment. How could they get the great Jiraiya to stand still?

Naru scoffed and dismissed the notion by saying, "A good **Oiroke no jutsu** will give us all the openings we need." Kakashi blushed, remembering that particular memory.

"**Oiroke no jutsu**?" the curious Uchiha inquired.

"It's an anti-pervert/pranking jutsu I made awhile ago. It's a special henge that lets me turn into a sexy babe," the blonde prankster explained while grinning gleefully.

Excited, Obito demanded, "Show me! Show me!" loudly clapping his hands together in a begging manner.

When the blushing Hatake heard that, he decided to intervene. "Ah! Not now! How about when we find Jiraiya-sama?" he recommended nervously. He wouldn't be able to endure another dose of that technique!

"Alright," Naru said, shrugging her shoulders to show how trivial this matter was. "To the bathhouse!" she yelled, pointing to the general direction of Konoha's local hot spring, as her personality did a one-eighty.

**. . .**

**HOT SPRING:**

Jiraiya of the Sannin could be found giggling near a hole in the women's hot spring fence. Obito and Kakashi, who were hiding in a tree, were a little miffed that a revered shinobi like Jiraiya was doing some disgraceful deeds.

"Oi, Ero-sennin!" Naru called out to the pervert.

A vein throbbed on the said pervert's head, and he turned around to reprimand the one who insulted him. "How many times do I have to tell you? My name's Jiraiya! Not Ero-sennin!"

The blonde girl rolled her eyes, crossed her legs, and leant her head back with her crossed arms cushioning it from behind. "Ehh~? But it's the truth! You're an ero-sennin!" Naru purposely exclaimed very loudly, making sure the women bathing could hear her. And with a great scream of panic, the women ran away into the establishment.

Jiraiya ran to his peeping hole, desperately searching for a babe, but was depressed to see the empty hot spring. Angry, the pervert was about to carry out retribution on the tattle tale, but wasn't prepared for Naru's **Harem no jutsu**. Like always, he passed out from a nosebleed, unconsciously twitching as his face expressed a perverse grin.

Kakashi came out of hiding, plugging his nose with his hand, and shouted heatedly in a nasally voice, "I thought you said **Oiroke no jutsu**! Not that Harem- whatever one!"

Naru just waved a dismissive hand in the air, saying, "Eh, whatever works, works."

Then, Obito came out, holding his own nose, claiming excitedly, "That was so cool! Teach me, Naru-chan!" stars shining in his eyes.

Blushing in prideful embarrassment, the blonde girl began to explain the basic principles and uses for her **Oiroke no jutsu**, since Obito couldn't perform the **Kagebunshin, **yet.

Kushina returned from applying the gender-swap seal onto Jiraiya, and asked her ingenious daughter how to do the **Harem no jutsu**.

Kakashi thought that this was all one, big headache; regardless of the entertaining results.

**WITH JIRAIYA:**

As he walked to the Hokage's office, the white-haired toad sage was puzzled by the weird stares he was getting from the villagers. Was there something on his face?

Soon irritated, Jiraiya took to the roofs. As he entered the Hokage's office, via window, the man announced his presence, "Hey sensei, you wanted to see me?"

Said sensei was busy stamping documents when he heard his perverted student's voice. For some reason, there was a feminine pitch in it that rubbed Sarutobi's senses wrong. The baffled Hokage turned to face his student, and was met with the sight of an elderly woman. Quirking an eyebrow in query, Sarutobi asked, "Why are you in a henge, Jiraiya?"

It was now the pervert's turn to be confused. "What're you talking about? I'm in no henge," the white-haired... she-male said.

Sarutobi's eyebrows went up to his hairline and jaws dropped in shock. Was Jiraiya under the same seal Asuma was found in?

That morning, Sarutobi had questioned the guards who were supposed to be protecting his son, and found out about Team Ramen's prank. It was quite clever. If this was an official mission, Asuma would have the perfect disguise.

But right now, the Hokage couldn't really hold back his laughter, and stuttered to his transformed student, "J-Jiraiya, y-you've become a g-great WOMAN." The elder's guffaws were filling the office with noise. He HAD to ask Naru and Kushina for photos!

"What?" the still-puzzled Jiraiya asked. What was his sensei ON?

Sarutobi took out his crystal ball and let his student see his distorted reflection.

... Three, two, and one.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Jiraiya's scream reverberated all throughout Konoha, and the villagers were wondering who got targeted this time.

Team Ramen heard the wail and chortled in uncontrolled mirth. Naru was affected the most because she had a clone trail her godfather all the way to the office. This was the greatest prank ever!

"What are you guys doing?" Minato asked in a deadpanned tone. He just returned home from a short mission, and HAD to be met with the sight of Team Ramen meeting in his living room. 'What's Kakashi doing here? I thought he disliked pranks?' the blonde man wondered in his head.

Team Ramen turned to face the shinobi in surprise. When did he come in?

Naru, then, smiled joyfully and ran up to her father, glad to see him in one piece. "Welcome home, Minato-nii!" she squealed in happiness.

Minato couldn't resist and picked his adorable angel up, rubbing his cheek against hers like a cat. Embracing his daughter, Minato cooed with adoration, "I'm back, Naru-chan! You look cute as ever!" Naru giggled in delight and returned the embrace, as well.

Now Kushina couldn't resist, and took a picture with the camera in her hands. "Welcome back, Minato. We took revenge on Team Assho- I mean, Team Awesome. Want to see the pictures?" the woman spoke to her boyfriend cheerily.

The Namikaze head sweatdropped. Revenge? With the Prankster Queens- present and future-, Konoha wouldn't stand a chance.

Sighing tiredly, Minato conceded with a nod, "I guess."

**. . .**

It was around six p.m.; the sky a salmon-pink with clouds at the edge of the horizon. The Hokage was lounging in his chair, relaxing after a day's load of paperwork. Kushina and Naru had come in a few minutes ago, handing him a copy of today's pranking photos. He loosened up as he looked through them all, and smiled at the last one. It was the picture Kushina had taken of Minato and Naru, smiling and hugging.

Sarutobi remembered that Minato used to be a lonely boy. Devoid of family and being a war-orphan failed to make the boy content, living. Years went by, the blonde had met Kushina, and Team Jiraiya formed a few years after that. The boy smiled a lot more than he used to, seemingly more satisfied to live the shinobi way. Now, with the knowledge and presence of his future-daughter, Minato had become very happy. Like he always wanted, he had a family.

Reflecting back to Naru's tales, Sarutobi noticed something. As the fourth Hokage, Minato was like the sun of _Konoha_. When he died, Konoha went spiraling into a depression. And as Naru began to shine brightly, with her blonde locks and sunny personality, the girl began to be recognized as the village's second sun. But that wasn't all. Her influence upon bonds and love brought the major nations to form the Shinobi Alliance, the start of her reign as the Savior of the World. Surpassing her predecessors, Minato's child not only became _Konoha_'s sun, but the sun of the whole _shinobi world_.

Chuckling at the coincidence, Sarutobi gazed at the father-daughter picture once more, whispering to no one in particular, "Grow up well, Orange Hokage."

* * *

**Phew! This prank section is so long! I might make the next part as long as this one!**


	21. Prank Days 2

**AN:**

**The prize money may be a bit out of place in Naruto World, since real ryo to dollar conversions are kinda off-balance. I think the ryo is really worth way more than the dollar. But I'm going to use dollars for simplicity's sake.**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

**FOURTH, AND HOPEFULLY LAST, DAY:**

Today, a bizarre event had occurred. Team Ramen and Team Awesome proposed to 'settle their differences' by initiating an all-out paint war between the two teams. At first, the prize was the losing team having to listen to one demand from the winning team, but then the village found out through the grapevine. The prize now included $75 because everyone else wanted the prank wars to stop already.

Both teams were allowed to use the entirety of Konoha as their playing field. The Hokage decided to have a day off and initiate the 'war game' at a set time. From eleven a.m. to 3 p.m., the teams of pranksters would 'battle' it out.

The 'war' was an interesting concept, and if it was successful today, Sarutobi considered implementing the idea into Konoha's shinobi training exercises. It held both entertaining and educational values.

Many of the villagers made bets on Team Ramen and Team Awesome, though; others were more concerned over the chaos the teams would cause on their properties. Naru and Kushina got rid of that fear by placing a temporary 'shield' seal that would make a 'shell' around the object, taking all damage caused for the day. Those who didn't wish to be caught in the crossfire were advised to either stay inside their homes, or go to the Battle Arena and watch the event on big screen.

"Sah! In a few minutes, Team Awesome and Team Ramen will participate in the village's first Konoha-wide paint war!" an announcer duo declared with enthusiasm.

"I am Senju Tsunade, and this is my teammate, Jiraiya!" the Slug Princess introduced herself and her partner. Why was Tsunade here? Well... her sensei sent her a letter about Naru, so she decided to meet her, _and then _leave, but the gambling addict found out about the betting pool for today's event and decided to stay for a little longer.

The crowd cheered wildly in excitement, looking forward to the 'battle'. "Jiraiya, who do you think will win?" the busty blonde asked her colleague.

He rubbed his chin with a free hand and replied, "Hmm... it's difficult because Kushina's a jounin. I don't think it's fair to Team Awesome, even with their superior numbers."

"That's true," Tsunade agreed, nodding, but pointed out, "however, we made sure she would restrict her chakra to that of a genin's, right? We also made her wear weights that would slow her reflexes too. The same goes for the Namikaze girl."

Jiraiya snorted and responded dismissively, "Chakra or speed doesn't really matter here. Team Ramen has two pranking _royalties_ in their possession. They practically _rule_ the prank-field."

Tsunade sweatdropped at that, cursing inwardly. She thought that with the way Kushina and Naru were handicapped, Team Awesome would surely win. She gambled on them, too! But the gambling addict didn't tell anyone who she bet the stakes on because everyone seemed to laugh at her, saying that she'd always lose her cash.

Poor Team Awesome. They've been cursed by Tsunade, the Legendary Sucker.

* * *

Both teams were standing by their 'gates', watching the proceedings from a small T.V. screen. Team Ramen was at the north side of Konoha, while Team Awesome was on the south side. Once the signal sounded, they would take off!

Basically half of Team Ramen was fired up. Kakashi wasn't that enthusiastic about it and Obito… he was running late. Kushina and Naru were burning with resolve, determined to win their share of cash and ramen. Where'd the ramen come from? It was the ramen junkies' demand to the losing team.

It's a weird relationship. If Team Awesome wins: Raido gets new weapons of his choosing- mainly a sword-, Anko gets dango and senbon, Kurenai would get good genjutsu scrolls, Gai would win Naru, Genma a date with Kushina- even though she has a boyfriend- , and all Asuma wants is revenge for the prank on Day Three.

If Team Ramen wins: Naru and Kushina would get unlimited ramen, Obito a good jutsu from the Sarutobi library, and Kakashi gets Gai to end their 'rivalry'. The mother and daughter duo also made Minato place a huge bet on their team, so if they won, that money would be split evenly amongst themselves.

"Gomen! Did I make you guys wait long?" the apologetic voice of one Uchiha Obito cried out to his teammates.

"You're late, Obito! What were going to do if you're disqualified?" an irate Kakashi snapped at the tardy boy.

"Sorry, but I saw this black cat and had to take the long way around!" came the pathetic excuse.

"Oi, calm down! We're about to start!" Kushina hissed impatiently. She was SO ready to roll!

On T.V., the Hokage appeared and cleared his throat, shouting, "3!"

Team Awesome and Team Ramen were doing last minute stretches.

"2!"

Naru adjusted the extra pouches around her hips, and all participants got into a ready position.

"1! Hajime!"

Both teams ran off at the signal.

Hopping across the roofs, Kushina asked her daughter, "Naru! Do you think you can make some clones?"

"I can make about three," the blonde girl replied, a little disappointed. From this moment on, Naru hated average, genin rerserves. They were a pain in the ass.

"That's fine. Make some and send them out to scout. If they find an enemy, have them tail the targets. Should they ever dispel, we'd have the advantage anyways," Kushina instructed the girl.

"Ossu!" the energetic girl exclaimed gleefully. Three clones now popped into existence, moving far ahead from the rest of Team Ramen.

"Obito, do you have the map?" Kakashi inquired. To go on with the next phase, they needed the special map the sealing experts created. It was a glorious invention in the genius' mind.

Somehow, using a few of the **Kagebunshin**'s principles, sealing formulas, and memories from a highly intellectual being *cough*Kurama*cough*; Naru and Kushina created a revolutionized, intel chart of Konoha. It was still a prototype, but it worked well for their current purposes. Installing tracking and sensing seals on par with Naru's sage mode, the map categorized people by color-dots and 'rank':

Red = Hokage

Black = ANBU

Blue = Jounins

Yellow = Chuunins

Green = Genins

Brown = Academy students

White = civilians

Blinking purple = Intruders/ Outsiders

Neither Kushina, nor Naru were worried about someone stealing their map because of the defense mechanisms. Similar to that of the sage mode, the device could sense 'evil' or 'negative' intentions. Should it be held in such hands, the map will burst into flames. If an enemy got past that, it'd be useless anyways; since the inner workings can only be accessed with either Kushina or Naru's blood, AND a specific formula from the future. So until that formula 'properly' exists, their map was safe.

For their 'war game', Team Ramen had modified the map to show only themselves and Team Awesome. Team Ramen as white, and Team Awesome as black. Personally, the majority of Team Ramen wanted to make their enemies the color brown for 'crap'. Kakashi thought it would be funny, but didn't want to hear his teammates going on, saying, 'A piece of crap is here!', 'Oh no! The shit are clumping together!', or 'The pieces of crap are spreading out!'. Obito and Naru were discussing tactics that way, the night before, and it disturbed the masked boy.

Back in the present, the outgoing Uchiha proclaimed joyously, "Here it is!" glad to have not lost the important document.

Team Ramen began scouring through their map- one-sidedly dubbed the Ramen Globe- looking for black, moving dots.

* * *

With the spectators at the Arena, the shinobi side was buzzing in astonishment. When or how did Team Ramen gain possession of such a valuable device? To think it was being used for pranking purposes! If Konoha worked out the kinks, they could revolutionize the Intel department!

Orochimaru was also intrigued by the map. He was here to 'support Anko' in his words, but is that really his intention? The snake was thinking that if he could get his hands on Team Ramen's map, it would be easier to reach his goals.

"What's that?" Tsunade asked curiously. She too was fascinated by the invention.

"Hmm? To think they're bringing _that _out so early. What are they thinking?" an incredulous Jiraiya wondered aloud.

"What're talking about?" his partner inquired with a quirked eyebrow. Sometimes, she hated it when her idiotic teammate mumbled to himself.

"Well," the white-haired man began, scratching his head in thought, and replied, "I walked in on Kushina and Naru when they were making that thing. Those two were pretty excited about it, too." The reminiscing sage whistled in appreciation and continued reverently, "Man! That map's the coolest thing I've ever seen! It even has the hot springs on it!" forgetting _who _he was sitting next to.

Tsunade had a vein popping out and punched Jiraiya in the face, sending him crashing into a wall off-screen. "Pervert!" the woman spat, disgusted by Jiraiya's train of thought.

"Not pervert! It's Super Pervert!" his voice heralded from 'far away'.

The audience in the Arena sweatdropped, the women mainly angry.

Orochimaru chuckled in amusement, while Sarutobi sighed in dismay. Jiraiya would never learn.

"The idiot's right, though. That map is truly intriguing," Orochimaru pointed out to his sensei.

Sarutobi glanced at his snake-like pupil from the corner of his eyes, wary about the thoughts that might be running through the subtle-traitor's mind. "It is," the elder agreed lightly, revealing no suspicion in his voice, and continued thoughtfully, "it would be magnificent if we could embed it into our security."

Orochimaru 'hmmed' in response; neither agreeing nor disagreeing. It unnerved the Hokage. Was it really too late to save his apprentice? Sarutobi internally mourned for his way-ward student. The boy just couldn't see how sinister he was becoming.

* * *

With Team Awesome, Gai and Asuma were hopping across the roofs, scouting for any signs of the enemy. Team Awesome had equipped themselves with wireless radio sets to stay in touch with each other. "I don't see anyone from Team Ramen," Asuma spoke into his small microphone.

Genma replied, "They're probably going around the village. Let's meet at the shopping district."

"Roger," said everyone else of Team Awesome. They would definitely win this war!

* * *

"Team Awesome looks like they're going to have a meeting! I wonder what will happen now!" Tsunade announced on the T.V.

"Hm... I didn't think they would move so soon," a bruised-looking Jiraiya spoke in mild concern.

"I know. Kushina's a jounin, and Kakashi's supposedly a genius. It's odd that Team Awesome would recklessly attempt action now," Tsunade agreed, kind of misinterpreting her partner's words.

"That's not it," the toad sage said, snorting as he rolled his eyes.

"What?" the Slug Princess replied in confusion.

"What I'd be worried about is _Naru_ and that map of hers. Kushina may be a jounin and accomplished prankster, but Naru's imagination and quick-thinking is on a whole different level," Jiraiya clarified, a little shudder of apprehension wracking his form. He remembered Biwako's rage when she saw how affected he was by the prankster's Oiroke jutsu. He didn't need Tsunade finding _that_ out! He disliked hospitals!

Out loud, the man stated, "Team Awesome better have a good plan, or else they're toast!"

* * *

"Kakashi, do you know where Team Assho- I mean, Team Awesome's at?" Kushina asked, stilling bounding across buildings.

The boy in question opened the 'Ramen Globe' and searched for the black dots on the parchment. "There are two of them a bit southeast of the village. The other four are scattered all over the central and western areas," he informed the unofficial leader.

"That's weird," Obito remarked, skeptically.

Naru nodded in assent and advised somberly, "You guys, since it may be a trap, let's tread carefully." All of Team Ramen nodded in agreement.

Kushina stopped her journey on the next roof; and turned to face her teammates, hands on hips. She smiled wide and exclaimed, "Yosh! Let's go!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Obito and Naru saluted; Kakashi only nodding.

* * *

Genma was running around the market streets when a familiar voice called out merrily, "Ah! Found Genma~!" The surprised boy looked up to see Naru staring down at him from a nearby roof.

Cursing to himself, the bandana boy retreated towards another direction, opting to relocate to the merchant district. The blonde enemy followed him from above, gaining on him.

After a few minutes' chase, Genma made a sharp turn around a building and spoke quickly into his earpiece, "Oi, Raido! Are you done yet?"

A slight static was heard and Raido replied, "I'm all set! You can lure her in!"

'Yosh!' the bandana boy thought confidently. He jumped onto a roof and made his way towards a small clearing where other roads met. Naru continued to trail him, but was surprised to suddenly feel a rain of paint pellets from the side.

"What!" she cried out in shock.

"Yatta!" Genma cheered in a low tone, observing from behind a potted plant. But he was disappointed when 'Naru' turned into a puff of smoke. "What the hell? I thought clones weren't solid!" he shouted in frustration.

"Solid?" Asuma asked over the communicator. He had an inkling to what Naru's technique was supposed to be.

"Yeah. I thought I got her, but it was a clone that burst into smoke," Raido clarified crossly.

"Geh. That's the **Kagebunshin**," Asuma explained in annoyance, "my old man said it's a solid clone, but it's a kinjutsu to those with little chakra."

"Nani? Then how come Naru's using it?" Anko wondered in bewilderment.

"Isn't that obvious? She has A LOT of chakra," Raido answered, a little irate. He wasted paint pellets for nothing!

"I know that!" Anko snapped. She wasn't stupid! She was just surprised, that's all.

"UWAH!" Gai screamed, letting the others hear his distress.

"What's wrong!" Kurenai yelled with unease.

"... I'm... I'm hit. Farewell, my comrades. I shall cheer you on from the other side," Gai lamented mournfully into his earpiece.

"What! Already?" Asuma complained in displeasure.

* * *

"Would you look at that? It's been only thirty minutes into the game, and Team Awesome is now down to five members!" Tsunade announced to the crowd.

"That little moron. Who the hell stands still when their enemy's coming right at 'em?" Jiraiya grumbled in annoyance, and then sympathized, "But I can understand. That spandex-kid's got a MAJOR crush on Naru."

For a moment, the hermit swore he heard Minato's wail of despair from afar. The white-haired announcer cleaned out his ears with a pinky, and shrugged his shoulders when he didn't hear it again. Maybe it was the wind?

Tsunade, on the other hand, groaned mentally. That bowl-cut's just cost her a few big bucks! If Team Awesome loses any more members, she'll be in debt! AGAIN!

* * *

Naru raised her head to sort through incoming memories. "Alright! One down!" she shouted in glee.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked, startled by the sudden shout of joy.

"I got Gai!" the girl explained happily.

"Really? Now there's only five more to go!" Obito cheered along.

His teammates nodded in agreement and Kushina requested, "Hey Kakashi, can you find the next target?"

The boy looked at the Ramen Globe and informed her, "There's another one about two kilometers, east from here."

"Alright!" Naru applauded, "Obito, you go get the next one!"

"Ossu!" the hyper Uchiha saluted, running off towards the east.

* * *

Genma and Raido were a little cautious now. They were down to five men, and the enemy may be anywhere!

"GUWAH!" they heard over the wireless.

"Hey, what's going on?" Raido demanded nervously. Could they have lost another member so soon?

"You're mine!" Anko's voice yelled out in triumph. Static reigned through the communication for awhile, then became silent.

"Anko? Who'd you get?" Kurenai asked a bit relieved.

"Just bumped into Obito, and 'killed' him... Oh crap! Gotta go!" Anko spoke in haste.

The other members of Team Awesome heard backgrounds noises like 'Obito, you moron! I was an idiot for thinking I could trust you!', 'Obito, I was about to spring the trap!', and 'Bye Obito! Make sure to save me some ramen, okay?'.

"Er... that's one down for us," Raido spoke uncertainly.

"Yeah…" the rest of his teammates responded, and then sighed because they weren't comforted by the way they had won a round.

* * *

"Bwahahaha!" Jiraiya guffawed in glee. That Obito-brat was just _precious_!

"Team Ramen's first casualty is Uchiha Obito! Three members of Team Ramen and five members of Team Awesome remain! There's two hours remaining on the clock! Who will come out victorious?" Tsunade broadcasted with gusto.

Jiraiya was still laughing in his chair, repeatedly pounding a fist onto the table. It was hilarious! The boy looked so resolute and serious about his task, but failed his part in the end. That little moron ran right out in the open, and didn't sense Anko coming from around the corner. The children bumped into each other, and Anko let go of the pellets she held in her hands, which burst onto Obito's chest, determining his defeat. It was one of the stupidest ways to 'die'! And, listening to each of the boy's teammates spew farewell messages at him was totally funny. Ugh... Jiraiya's stomach hurt from laughing too much.

Tsunade sweatdropped at Jiraiya's intense reaction. She didn't find it _that _funny as her colleague did.

* * *

**Yeah… it looks like I'm going to split this episode into several parts. It's hard typing a long document in a day.**


	22. Prank Days 3

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

**CONTINUING THE WAR BETWEEN TEAM RAMEN AND TEAM AWESOME:**

"Kuso!" Kakashi cursed angrily, as he watched Obito leave with an ANBU proctor. That baka got himself eliminated! And that boy wanted to be a shinobi!

"Relax, Kakashi," Kushina tried to pacify the irate silver-head. "We still have five more enemies to go. Keep a clear head and take out your frustrations _when_ you fight them," she suggested, eying the stewing annoyance rolling off his form.

"Hai," the boy relented, shoulders relieving from their stiff position.

Naru, no longer finding reason to hide her sage skills, gathered sen-chakra to scout for Team Awesome. "Ah!" she exclaimed happily, "I sense Asuma and Anko nearby! They're a little to the right from our position."

"Hmm," Kushina hummed thoughtfully. "Do you think we can activate _that_ trap we made for escaping?" she wondered aloud.

"I don't see why not," the female sage remarked, toad pupils fading away as she released herself from the sage mode.

Curious, Kakashi asked the jounin, "What's on your mind, Kushina-san?"

The red-headed woman cackled wickedly and said, "Just something to return the favor," eyes glinting with mischief.

* * *

"What's this! Team Ramen seems to be carrying out a secretive plan!" Tsunade announced to the audience.

"Damn it! That stupid gaki! The sage mode isn't supposed to be abused like that!" Jiraiya fumed, mostly jealous that Naru could go back and forth with the mode.

"Nani? She's really a sage?" his partner questioned in surprise. She didn't really believe it when Naru introduced herself with all of her future monikers.

"You didn't believe her?" the white-haired man inquired with a quirked eyebrow. "Naru said so earlier."

"I thought she was messing around!" Tsunade went defensive on her behalf. Who in their right mind would believe a FOUR-year old girl spewing weird shit!

Her teammate shrugged his shoulders and could only provide supportively, "Now you know."

Meanwhile, most of the shinobi observers were buzzing in excitement. To think that the Yellow Flash's sister could surpass the Toad Sennin's specialty at FOUR-years old! It was incredible news!

With Orochimaru, the snake stared distastefully at that screen. He initially considered the blonde child a potential vessel when the time would arise, but now, it was no longer possible. His affinity was towards the snakes, which weren't on good terms with the toads, and Naru being aligned with said amphibians put a dent into the Snake contractor's plans. Out loud, Orochimaru spoke casually, hiding his dislike for the situation, "It's a bit unusual that the toads would let a young child learn their unique arts, isn't it sensei?"

Sarutobi glanced at his student from the corner of his eyes, like he did the last time they conversed, and then took a long drag from his pipe. The elder answered in the same casual tone, "Not really. Once Naru assimilated herself into Minato and Jiraiya's lives, the boys thought it would be funny to introduce her to their summons, early. They betted on whether she would freak out like a normal girl, or accept the toads." It was a likely story the time traveler assisted creating, correctly assuming that someone would question her skills. "Of course, Jiraiya lost that bet, since Naru practically squeezed the life out of the newly-dubbed 'Gama-chan'," Sarutobi chuckled convincingly at the last statement.

Orochimaru held a faint skeptical expression before shifting back into his calm façade. _That_ was why the girl signed the contract so early? It's difficult to believe such an account, but his sensei didn't appear to be lying. The Snake Sannin had lost a potential vessel to a half-assed venture. He suddenly detested Jiraiya and Minato just a little more now.

* * *

Asuma and Anko were running for their lives. If they didn't the ogres would eat their soul.

Incoming exploding tags detonated, causing great blasts to shake the earth. The young Sarutobi boy fell, twisting his ankle, and disabling his balanced mobility.

Anko, who was running in front, looked back to see her fallen comrade, "Asuma!" she yelled in alarm.

The girl started running back for him, but Asuma snapped, "No! Leave me here! Save yourself, Anko!"

"But what about you?" she protested anxiously.

"It's useless to take me with you! Even if I die, you and the others need to survive!" the boy declared fiercely.

Anko fisted her hands in distress and held back the oncoming tears that were threatening to fall.

"Hurry!" Asuma ordered, his voice demanding to be obeyed.

The girl turned and began to run away again, yelling to her fallen teammate, "You're sacrifice won't be in vain, Asuma!" moving away at a quick rate.

Once Anko was surely out of his sight, the lone boy sighed in relief. At least his comrade would be safe. Then, Asuma tensed when a familiar presence made its appearance, casting a shadow over his vision. He looked up to identify the owner of the foreboding silhouette; and was terrified to see a sinister-looking Kushina, who was holding an ink-laden brush.

"No," the boy whimpered in fear. Anything but the brush!

"Oh, yes!" the redheaded witch sadistically hissed, cackling like a mad-woman. Her brush began to descend upon its victim.

"GYAHH!" one Sarutobi Asuma screamed agonizingly, deafening enough to reach the heavens.

* * *

"What's happening?" a puzzled Tsunade wondered out loud.

"Pft! Kushina's probably applying the gender-swap seal on the poor kid," Jiraiya chortled in delight. Man, this was more entertaining than cat fights!

"Gender-swap seal?" his teammate inquired curiously.

The sealing expert nodded in confirmation, saying, "Yeah. She and Naru created it a day ago for their other prank. They put it on Team Awesome and swapped their genders like the name asserts." He cackled once and commented, "It was the funniest thing I've ever seen!"

The busty blonde next to him looked thoughtful for a moment, then pointed out heedlessly, "Isn't that the seal sensei said was used on you?"

Jiraiya turned red at that _evil_ memory, a vein throbbed on his head, and he snapped, "Shut up! I don't want to remember that!"

However, his teammate guffawed at the hilarious implications, and spoke somewhat pensively, "I wish I could've seen it!"

"I hope you never do," the man muttered, annoyed by Tsunade's laughter.

Unexpectedly, the voice of one Uchiha Obito offered nonchalantly, "I have a spare seal if you want, Tsunade-sama." He had walked into the wrong room while looking for the restroom.

Jiraiya's face took on a petrified expression, and scrambled away from his seat, back against the room's farthest wall. "Keep that _thing_ away from me!" he all but screeched in dread. Tsunade wouldn't let him live this down! Hell, all of Konoha wouldn't let him live it down!

But to his ongoing horror, his colleague took the seal the _evil_ runt offered, and turned to face him with a malicious grin.

"NNNOOO!"

The Gallant Jiraiya's terrified yowl was heard live, making the audience sweatdrop at his dramatics.

* * *

"Kuso!" Genma cursed. Only four people of Team Awesome were left. How were they going to beat Team Ramen? He heard that Naru's supposed to be a genius like Kakashi, and Kushina's a jounin! Even if the Hokage restricted the females' chakra and movement, they still had their brains and reflexes!

A static moment occurred over the wireless, and the bandana boy spoke, "Hey, are any of you there?" What's happening on the other end?

"Moshi, moshi~!" an Anko-sound-alike cheerfully replied. Genma was fearful. Who had gotten killed now? Anko?

He gulped and hissed, "Who're you?"

"How mean! You don't recognize your own teammate?" the Anko-impersonator pouted dramatically.

"Quit messin' around! Anko doesn't sound like you!" the boy snapped, distressed over the way the impersonator was acting carelessly. It seemed like the imposter didn't care if he/she was caught! Who was it? Kushina? Naru? Kakashi didn't look like he could make his voice go that high.

"As expected of Genma. I almost got Anko's voice down, but I couldn't go down any more octaves," the enemy supplied conversationally.

"What'd you do to Anko!" the boy demanded; sweat trickling down the side of his face.

"Hmm? Nothing...yet," the not-Anko answered playfully at first, but the tenor went solemn at the end.

"Guh..." Genma let out, grinding his teeth in frustration. He took a deep breath and interrogated in a low tone, "What do you want?"

"Nothing really... but, I _might_ give the girl back if you take her place, Genma-_chan_~! I'll be waiting at Training Ground 7. _Ja ne_~!" came the _sweet_ response. Static reigned once again, signaling the enemy's departure.

"Damn you, Naru!" Genma cursed, smacking a fist against a wall next to him.

Now Raido's voice inquired anxiously, "Genma! You're not planning to go, are you?"

"There's not much choice. They've got Anko. If we all go, they might take us all out," the bandana boy pointed out, not liking the way he was being cornered.

"Wait! That's crazy! How do you know if they'll let either one of you go?" Kurenai wanted to know.

"Then, you want me to just sit back, knowing that the Ramen-ators are holding our teammate hostage!" Genma snapped back.

"N-no, but-!" Kurenai began, but her teammate interrupted, "I'm going! Don't follow me!" Genma declared, turning off his wireless; ignoring his remaining teammates' protests.

He ran towards the general direction of Training Ground seven.

* * *

"... It seems... that things are becoming a little serious, eh, Jiraiya?" a sweatdropping Tsunade commented, feeling skeptical at the turn of events.

"Yeah," her colleague agreed, completely ignoring his 'old hag' of a body and a laughing Obito in the background.

"Sah!" the busty blonde announced into her microphone, "Things are heating up! There's one and half hours remaining and Team Ramen has taken a hostage! Shiranui Genma has agreed to his enemies' demands, in favor of Mitarashi Anko's release! Will Genma be able to rescue his teammate, or will Team Ramen win this round?!" voice booming with zeal.

The audience in the Arena roared in excitement, looking forward to the oncoming clash between both teams.

* * *

**Hehehe… this arc will soon b over.**


	23. Prank Days 4: End

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

At Training Ground Seven, the remaining members of Team Ramen were hiding in various places in the clearing. A clone-Naru was guarding a tied up-and-gagged Anko.

Genma appeared into the open, and the hostage began to struggle against her bonds. "I'm here, so let Anko go," he spoke, perspiration sticking his clothes to his roasting skin.

Naru-Clone held a thinking pose- finger tapping her lips- and said mischievously, "Hmm... How about...no?"

"What?" the bandana boy demanded, gritting his teeth in annoyance. This wasn't a trivial thing she could play around with!

"Datte, what can you offer me that Anko can't?" the blonde pointed out, loving how she could make the laid-back boy squirm.

"That's why I'm saying that I'd take her place!" Genma shouted adamantly. It looked like he had to do things the hard way. Grabbing a kunai from his pouch, the bandana boy quickly threw it at the tree Kakashi was observing from, making the silver-head abandon his perch. At the same time, with his other hand, Genma threw a lone senbon towards the Naru-Clone, who deflected the projectile with her kunai.

A lightning bolt was thrown the Awesome-member's way, and he dodged the incoming attack with a **Kawarimi**. The boy glimpsed at how the log was pierced, as though a spear had ran through it. None of the Ramen-ators seemed normal! Well, maybe except Obito. He was probably a stand-in.

So caught up in his thoughts, Genma didn't notice a volley of kunai soaring his way, until it was too late to dodge. 'Was this the end?' he thought, arms coming up to make an 'x'. He had failed!

*CLANG*

The barrage of weapons was deflected by an unexpected ally.

The bandana boy lowered his crossed arms and looked up to see Raido and Kurenai; holding their kunais in a deflecting position.

"You guys!" the saved boy breathed in surprise.

"You baka! Friends watch each other's backs, right?" Raido reprimanded his childhood friend.

Genma chuckled a bit, and made some hand seals, exclaiming, "**Katon: Moesashi**** no jutsu ****(****Flame Release: Embers****)**!" Multiple balls of ember flames shot out towards the two Ramen-ators.

Kakashi and Naru-Clone jumped away to land on the brook behind them, and Kushina appeared to counter the fire technique, shouting, "**Suiton: Nami Shindou no ****j****utsu ****(****Water Release: Wave Impact Technique****)**!" A tall wave of water created a wall, evaporating the fire balls. A billow of steam rose and both teams were covered by the dense blanket.

* * *

"Argh! I can't see!" Obito complained childishly, sitting in Jiraiya's vacant seat.

"Obito? Where's Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked, puzzled as to why her partner was replaced.

"He said something about getting rid of the gender-swap seal, and experimenting with its mechanics, or something like that," the boy responded, propping his head onto his held-up palms on the table.

The Slug Princess snorted in amusement and went back to watching the battle.

Squinting at the screen, Obito wondered out loud, "What's that?"

* * *

Clashing sounds of metal-to-metal filled the air. Kakashi and Genma were locked in a tense combat, the bandana boy trying to cover for Raido as he rescued Anko.

Kushina and Naru were away, their male comrade believing they were going to carry out the next two phases of their preparations.

"Not bad," the Team Awesome member acknowledged to his opponent.

"Thanks. You're not too shabby yourself," the Hatake heir replied with eye-smiles. Genma tried to take advantage of that opening, but Kakashi wasn't hailed a genius for nothing. The two boys blocked, they parried, swiped and stabbed, but they weren't getting anywhere.

With another clash of weapons, the bandana boy commented; kunai-arm steady as he blocked the masked boy's blade, "It looks like we're even."

"It appears so," Kakashi agreed, and the two jumped back.

Raido finally freed Anko and declared to Genma, "I've got her!"

"Tsk," the masked boy let out. He was being easily distracted, and that wasn't a good quality of a shinobi. "Are you done yet, Naru?" the boy asked to his hidden partner.

"Back away, Kakashi!" the said girl yelled out in warning. Trusting her judgment, Kakashi heeded the warning.

In the direction of Team Awesome, downpours of paint pellets hailed down upon them.

"**Doton: Dochu Eigyo no ****j****utsu ****(****Earth Release: Underground Fish Projection Technique****)**!" Raido yelled, quickly making the hand signs required for the technique. He dragged his teammates and himself underground.

Landing on the clearing floor, Naru stood by Kakashi. "Hey, have enough chakra for another Kaminari Senbon?" she asked him.

"Yeah," her teammate confirmed aloofly. He was getting tired of Team Awesome.

"Good. Use it and I'll send a paralysis tag after you," Naru spoke strategically.

The two were getting ready to carry out their plan, but a sudden earthquake moderately shook the area. "**Doton: Jimen Bara**** no jutsu ****(****Earth Release: Ground Thorns****)**!" Raido's voice announced from below the earth. The ground where the Ramen-ators stood began to vibrate, and the two jumped off to the other side.

While in midair, a few kunai with exploding tags were sent in Naru's direction. Quickly making a clone, the girl's doppelganger tugged on the original, but misjudged her own strength. The restrictions on her person were very annoying.

"Ah! You idiot! You weren't supposed to throw me!" the original-Naru cried out in alarm, arms flailing.

"Who're you callin' an idiot! I'm you, dumbass!" her clone snapped back irately.

The flying blonde ignored the insult and exclaimed in panic, "Kakashi, move!"

"Huh?" her teammate wondered, turning his head towards Naru's way. What was she doing now?

*CHU~!*

There was a moment of silence right after that accident.

Team Awesome- now permanently Asshole in Naru's mind- stopped in mid-step of their assault, and Raido apologized speechlessly, "Ah... Gomen."

* * *

Minato, who came to cheer on his girls, screamed out in horror, "NOOOO! Naru-chan's innocence! It-It's been tainted!" He began to comically enter a depression, withering away into the wind.

Sakumo couldn't help but say, "They must really be fated to be together. These things just can't keep happening coincidently."

The overprotective-daddy paled, and began to sulkily grumble obscenities as a grey storm cloud hung over his head. His precious baby's innocence was defiled! It's all that Raido-kid and Kakashi's fault!

Resolutely, Minato stood up from his seat and bellowed out in unholy rage, "RAIDO! KAKASHI!" A bright fire was burning in his eyes.

The angry blonde man began to run in Naru's basic direction, but Sakumo and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were holding him back. "Let go!" the blonde demanded to his fellow shinobi.

"Troublesome," Shikaku mumbled, using his **Kagemane no Jutsu**** (Shadow Possession technique)** to freeze the rampaging man. "Oi, Chouza," the lazy Nara called to his friend.

"On it," the Akimichi replied, entrapping Minato in between his enlarged hands.

"Sakumo-sempai, can you knock him out?" Inoichi requested to the older shinobi.

In response, the Hatake head jabbed the struggling blonde with a lightning-laced finger, sedating Minato as he had done in the past.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio sweatdropped. "You could've just given him the ol' chop-on-the-neck," Inoichi commented; flabbergasted by the method of tranquilizing his junior comrade.

Sakumo shrugged, just answering, "This is more permanent."

* * *

With Naru and kakashi, they were in shock. This wasn't really her first kiss, but Naru never wanted to relive the one with Sasuke. In her mind, Kakashi had just become her 'first kiss'.

It was similar with the Hatake heir, him being absolutely stunned by the sudden contact on his lips. At five-years old, Hatake Kakashi received his first kiss. The foremost thing he noticed was how Naru's lips seemed to 'fit' with his, even though they were intercepted by a mask. He wondered how it'd be like without the piece of cloth. Even with his mask, the boy could clearly smell the scent of citrus and ramen from the girl. It was strangely becoming addictive.

But that moment was cut short when the voice of Uzumaki Kushina questioned, "What are you two doing?" She had just returned from completing the task she set for herself, and found her daughter and Kakashi in a... quite _intimate_ position from where she was observing.

Kakashi and Naru broke apart, scuttling several feet away from each other; not looking in the other's direction as a cherry-red color spread across their cheeks.

An epiphany abruptly struck Kushina, and she teased mischieviously, "Oh, ho! You two are progressing pretty fast for your age. I wonder if Minato's seen this on T.V.?"

Kakashi paled very white at the name of the overprotective-blonde. The Yellow Flash was going to kill him! It was all a misunderstanding, but the boy felt that Minato wouldn't care if it was! All that man cared about was Naru!

Then, the blonde girl broke Kakashi's dread-filled thoughts by pointing out densely, "Hey, you kinda' taste like miso!"

"... What?" everyone else present wondered aloud. _That_ was what she thinking about?

The oblivious girl went on, misinterpreting the masked boy's reaction, "It's not that bad, Kakashi! I like miso, so don't worry about it!"

The five-year old genius turned a darker shade of red. Did that girl even know what she was saying?

"Unforgivable!" shouted a familiar, male voice. Kakashi paled once again. Why the hell was _he_ here!

A steaming Minato appeared on the field, scaring the hell outta' the masked boy. Arms up in a surrendering gesture, the boy stuttered franticly, "M-Matte, Minato-san! It-It was an accident, I SWEAR!"

"ACCIDENT!" the blonde man roared in disbelief, "I'll show you accident!" lifting his shirt sleeves in order to readily, pummel the silver-headed brat.

Probably for the first time in his life, Kakashi squealed like a little girl, running away from the rampaging madman.

"Get back here, Kakashi!" Minato demanded, running to catch the fleeing boy.

"Ah, Minato-nii! Kakashi! Wait!" Naru yelled at the departing males. She went running, attempting to stop her father from turning Kakashi into a punching bag.

Left in the clearing were Team Awesome and Kushina. An ANBU proctor emerged in a shunshin and informed them monotonously, "Since Namikaze Minato has interfered with the battle, Namikaze Naru and Hatake Kakashi are disqualified."

"NANI!" the Uzumaki yelped in shock. She was the only Ramen-ator left? But before she could protest, the proctor disappeared.

An intense fire began burning from Kushina's form. Team Awesome looked at the woman oozing the heat, and saw what looked like to be the devil's incarnate. Turning her head towards her enemies, the red-headed kunoichi's eyes glinted menacingly, and she hissed, "Run."

Team Awesome screamed in fear and scurried off in various directions.

* * *

"Um... Team Ramen's now-last member is attempting- no, that's not right- _obliterating_ her opponents!" Tsunade announced awkwardly.

Jiraiya, who came back when Minato had run off, snorted and said, "When Kushina gets like this, none survive. I guess this is the end of the game." The man stood up to leave the room. There just was no point anymore.

"Oi! At least stay 'til the end like you're supposed to!" his colleague yelled at him as he left.

'Shit!' The gambling addict cursed. She was going to be in debt… AGAIN!

"SHIZUNE!" Tsunade called out. They had to get away, fast!

* * *

Raido and Genma were running as though their lives depended on it. They had to hurry and find a safe place! The she-demon was gaining on them!

"HEY!" Kushina roared in fury.

Raido risked a glance back and witnessed a terrifying sight. The Ramen-ator's hair was positioned in midair like the Kyuubi's nine tails, illustrating a demonic image.

"The devil's here, Genma! Run faster!" the bandaged boy cried out in alarm. He sped up, sprinting in urgency.

"I'm trying!" his partner exclaimed in similar haste. That woman was just too persistent! Why the hell did he ever want a date with her!

The three continued their chase around the village in a disorganized route, the two boys just attempting to gain some distance between Kushina. Alas, despite her restrictions, Konoha's Red Hot-Blooded Habanero was living up to her name. Already, the female members of Team Awesome were killed in the chaos to scramble away, leaving Genma and Raido alone to face the fiend.

"I'm-I'm at my limit!" Raido panted in apparent exhaustion.

"Kuso!" his bandana-wearing partner cursed. There was no choice. One of them had to survive! Making up his mind, Genma halted in his steps, Raido running on ahead.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing!" the boy in front yelled out in dread. Genma wasn't going to do what he thought his friend was doing, was he?

"Go on ahead! I'll try to hold her off!" Raido's courageous colleague volunteered heroically.

"Are you insane!" the bandaged boy shouted in disbelief.

"Yeah, I might be, but at least you'll survive right, Raido?" Genma answered with an encouraging tone.

"Kushina-san's a _jounin_! You're still an academy student!" his friend protested fiercely, not understanding why the bandana boy would risk his life with this plan.

"If I die saving my best friend, I have no regrets," Genma declared, wearing a confident grin, "so run, Raido! Live and get revenge for all of us!"

The other boy nodded hesitantly and began to move away once more. Tears of discontent were threatening to fall from his clenched eyelids. 'Genma, your sacrifice won't be forgotten!' Raido pledged in his mind.

Once he was sure his friend was gone, the remaining Awesome-member felt the incoming presence of the Ramen-ator devil.

"Hoh~? You must be either really stupid or brave to face me head on like this, Genma," Kushina stated in fascination. Normally, many of her enemies hid and strategized their next move.

A bead of sweat fell from the boy's cheek and he replied, "I might be. However, I'm not letting you pass from here-on out, Kusina-san," determination present in his tone. With a quick movement, Genma threw two smoke bombs to the floor, masking their visibility.

The Uzumaki "tsk'd" in annoyance, but didn't let her guard down. Distantly, she heard the approaching sounds of kunais. Taking one of her own, Kushina deflected the enemy's weapons; not noticing an exploding tag on one of them until it was ready to detonate. 'Nani?' she exclaimed in surprise.

*BOOM*

A splatter of paint burst onto the area, covering a wide radius. There was no way the enemy could've gone unscathed.

Genma hopped onto a roof and scoured the vicinity below for his opponent, wondering aloud, "Did I get her?"

Startlingly, the boy gasped in pain.

*Squelch*

He turned to his left to see a solemn Kushina. "H-How?" the boy breathed out in bewilderment.

"If I didn't have the skills of a jounin, I probably would've fallen for that trick," the kunoichi explained, a thoughtful tenor entering her speech. Her arm poised forward, slamming a paint-covered hand onto Genma's chest.

"K-Kuso!" he wheezed in pain. The boy fell to the side, out cold.

Sighing in relief, Kushina spoke with a low tone, "Now there's one more."

* * *

When Raido heard the explosion from earlier, he was nervous. What happened to Genma? Did the bloody demon kill him?

The boy was almost at Team Awesome's original meeting place. It was the nearest defense 'fortress'.

"He wasn't too bad," a dreadful presence commented casually. Raido gulped and warily tensed for an assault on his person. Kushina went on, closing the distance between them, "Gemna just underestimated me."

The boy jumped back and threw a kunai at a trap wire. That resulted in a large volley of projectiles racing towards his enemy. And like he predicted, she deflected and dodged the weapons. Taking a smoke bomb from his pouch, Raido threw it onto the ground. Thick black smog blanketed the area, and Kushina went on defense for a possible attack.

A hum of whizzing metal was heard and the Ramen-ator blocked an attempt of harm upon her person. A faint scent reached her nose, and the kunoichi discovered that it was paint! The Uzumaki leaped back, determined to be out of the smoke's range. Near her blind spot, a katana's blade rushed by her head, cutting off some hair.

'Hmm... It looks like things are about to get serious,' Kushina thought in anticipation, evading the sharp object left and right. In a quick burst of speed, the jounin vanished to re-emerge next to Raido, the two crossing weapons: kunai vs. sword.

The swordsman-in-training had one hand holding his sword, the other hand lifting and throwing innocent-looking powder in his enemy's face. The kunoichi began to sneeze continuously, and Raido grabbed a pellet from his pouch, throwing it with competent accuracy. This was his win!

*SPLAT*

The boy's eyes widened. 'Oh, no!' he thought in dismay.

Sneezing, Kushina remarked, impressed by the boy's skills, "So close, but my reflexes had you miss by a few inches." She crushed her own pellet on Raido's head, paint dyeing his crown. "I win," the Ramen-ator informed the stunned boy.

Suddenly drained of energy, Raido fainted into Lala-land.

* * *

"Team Ramen has made a huge comeback! Uzumaki Kushina has defeated all of her enemies and won the war!" Tsunade announced, somewhat irritated.

The now-in-debt blonde was going to make a quick getaway, but her sensei stopped her. In exchange for agreeing with the idea to start her medic-nin program, Sarutobi would pay off all of her debts. It wasn't too disappointing, but now was a horrible time. The Senju heiress still had her hemophobia, and wasn't too excited about staying in Konoha any longer than she would've liked.

* * *

**WITH NARU, KAKASHI, AND MINATO:**

"Minato-nii! Stop throwing kunai at Kakashi!" Naru yelled in exasperation. Seriously, what was wrong with her father?

"Naru-chan!" a boy's shout echoed to her direction.

The blonde girl turned to meet a sprinting Obito, and asked with interest, "What is it, Obito?"

"We won!" the energetic Uchiha yelled out in happiness, jumping up and down in elation.

Naru's eyes went bug-eyed at the news. "Really?" she exclaimed in utter joy. "Yatta!" the girl cheered deafeningly, jumping into the air like her friend did.

The two danced around together, chanting "we won!" over and over.

Minato and Kakashi stopped whatever they're doing, startled by Naru's loud cheer. What was happening?

Walking over to his daughter, Minato inquired curiously, "What is it, Naru-chan?" Kakashi was saved... for now.

The girl turned her gaze towards her father, grinning wide and informed him joyously, "Team Ramen won!"

... Oh! Since his daddy senses were tingling, he completely forgot about the competition... Wait. Didn't he just interfere with the game? Shit. If he got Naru and Kakashi disqualified, Kushina and his daughter wouldn't stop yakking at him for disqualifying the girl. Out loud, he smiled supportively and said, "That's great!" hiding his inner turmoil.

"Isn't it?" she agreed, beaming a sunny grin. 'Ramen, here I come!' the junkie declared in her head. Then, she remembered, "Hey, Minato-nii, you have to collect our earnings!"

Her father's eyes lit up in comprehension and he recalled aloud, "Ah. I almost forgot because of Kakashi."

'How's it my fault!' the Hatake heir screamed mentally. If he had spoken vocally, there was no telling what the Yellow Flash would do!

"Congrats, son," came the voice of Sakumo, nearby.

"Tou-san!" the boy cried out, not expecting his father to watch the event at all.

"Hey," his father greeted with a ruffle of the boy's spikes. "It was a shame that Kushina interrupted the kiss, wasn't it?" Sakumo teased his little offspring. Kakashi blushed cherry-red at that comment. His father was becoming _too _lively for his tastes.

A choked shriek reverberated throughout the area; and the Hatakes saw Minato turning pallid, eyes expressing sheer terror. "Sempai! W-What do you think you're doing!" the blonde man screamed, pointing at his sempai with a shaking, accusing digit. What was this! People-gang-up-on-Minato day?

Sakumo raised an inquiring eyebrow and said, "What do you think I'm doing? I'm just supporting my son on getting a girlfriend."

The blonde man frantically shook his head in denial, willing that comment to just delete itself from his brain. "No way! Naru's too young for boys! Do you know what kind of wolves they are?" he cried in agony.

Sakumo popped a vein on his forehead and scarily smiled, questioning his junior, "Do you have a problem with _wolves_, Minato? I'm sure I can _assist _you to come to like them." The Hatake didn't have anything against the blonde, but no one DISSED the wolves!

Minato shrank back in slight fear and meekly answered, "No thanks. It's alright, sempai… But! Little cute Naru-chan's not for sale!"

This time, Naru sweatdropped. Why was her father treating her like a bargaining merchandise?

"Whatever," Sakumo dismissed casually, rolling his eyes. "Let's go already. Jiraiya booked a restaurant for the celebration. There's ramen," he said, directing the last phrase at Naru. The girl got very excited and zoomed way down the road, leaving a trail of dust.

"Hey, wait for me, Naru-chan!" Obito called out, running as fast as he could with his short legs.

* * *

It was a merry time for Team Ramen and Friends. The majority of the partygoers were celebrating the defeat of the 'shitty' members of Team 'Asshole'. Minato scolded Kushina for cussing in front of impressionable young children, but Kakashi just told him that it was too late. The Uzumaki had completely corrupted the younger Ramen-ators, besides Kakashi. The Yellow Flash was mortified to hear Obito and his daughter cursing casually throughout their conversations. They had succumbed to the dark side!

Then, oddly enough, one of the Ramen-ators had invited Team Awesome to their party; whether to rub their victory in the enemies' faces, or out of their 'kind' heart, it wasn't known. Of course, when the members of Team Awesome heard their new nickname, they were making insulted faces. Who the hell came up with that name?

Somehow, sake was smuggled into the celebration *cough*Jiraiya*cough* and Gai... he was MORE than happy to oblige. Naru had only witnessed Lee's drunken stupor once before, and she'd gotta' say, Gai was totally the older version of her good ol' spandex-friend. Intense Fuzzy Brows, indeed, lived up to his reputation. Most of the other children had gotten drunk too, but Sakumo rescued his son from the 'poison', as did Minato with Naru. The girl pouted, because she'd always wanted to try sake after seeing both of the spandex-males' tendencies. Her inner _scientist_ wanted to know what made the taijutsu experts act like that. It was the same with Tsunade's addiction.

So, without her father noticing, the sixteen-year-old in disguise took a quick sip of alcohol.

... It wasn't that bad, she concluded. Eying a spare bottle nearby, Naru grabbed it and started drinking straight from the containter When Kushina and Minato saw this, they began to panic. Most people were known to be loose-lipped when drunk, and they didn't know if Naru was one of them.

"I-It's *hick* good~," the inebriated child giggled awkwardly.

"Ah, Naru-chan! Why'd you drink the sake!" her father squawked hysterically.

On the other hand, many of the others were curious, including Kakashi. How would the normally-hyperactive girl act while drunk? Other people under the influence were known to tap into their opposite personalities.

Much to their amusement and surprise, Naru turned out to be a kissing maniac. Her first victim was Gai, much to the now-sober boy's glee, and Kakashi and Minato's ire. For some reason, intimate or platonic relationships Naru had with other boys irked the Hatake heir. Initially, the masked boy either ignored the feeling, or believed it to be annoyance because of the others' reckless behavior. But now, he didn't know.

In the present, the kissing-monster's second victim was Genma, who appeared to have no qualms with the sudden contact. For some reason, Kakashi felt like stabbing the bandana boy at the moment.

It was SO unfair! Minato had chased after Kakashi, but not Gai or the fanboys! It was a conspiracy! A fucked up conspiracy!

And since the genius boy was too busy fuming, he didn't see the Yellow Flash attempting to drag Naru away from lip-locking with another target. As the girl wobbled her way over to Kakashi's vicinity, Jiraiya and the Hokage ganged up on Minato, the Toad Sennin gripping his student's arms as Sarutobi applied a freeze tag on the struggling blonde, with Kushina snapping pictures in delight.

*CHU~!*

Again, for the second time that day, the two children ended up connecting lips. This time, Kakashi's mask was down, as excess paint splatter made it uncomfortable to breathe through. Currently, he could tell how soft and warm Naru's lips were against his own. The scent of citrus and ramen were amplified more than before and… was that a tongue licking his bottom lip? A flash on the boy's right made him jump away, blushing to the roots of his hair. He wiped his hand against his mouth; right on the spot where the girl had licked him, wondering just _where _this four-year old learnt how to manipulate her tongue like that. Good Lord, at this rate, Kakashi believed he would become a pervert!

With a great war-cry, the frozen Minato broke free from his bonds, overprotective-daddy mode switch ON! He scurried over to his drunken daughter, haste imperative because she was looking for her fourth victim, and gave a chop to her neck. The frantic father carried Naru like a bundle, using the **Hiraishin **to hurry home. Everyone laughed at that, while some forked over some suggestive amount of cash.

Kakashi was still in a kiss-induced trance, not noticing Sakumo and Kushina suggesting future 'wedding' plans. There was NO way Naru and Kakashi were NOT fated! Accidents like these would probably keep happening, and like in Jiraiya's words on the boy's birthday, "They'll get together before you know it!"

Sakumo wasn't a woman, but he did think like a thrilled mother, setting up a marriage between his son and Minato's daughter. She was a really great girl: nice, strong, witty, friendship-obsessed at times, and other qualities that would keep Kakashi from going off into the deep end.

Now, it was all the matter of time and effort. Things wouldn't bear fruit until the children hit puberty.

* * *

**PHEW!**

**4000 words! I guess this arc is over.**


	24. Special: You're Late!

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for Naruto talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

_It_ happened on a random day. To Kakashi's frustrations, his self-proclaimed 'eternal rival' challenged him to a contest... AGAIN. In all of his green-spandex-and-bowl-cut glory, that caterpillar _thing_ jumped in front of the masked child, shouting enthusiastically, "My ETERNAL RIVAL, Kakashi! I CHALLENGE you to a race around the village! If I CANNOT WIN, I will do 1000 push-ups and 1000 sit-ups IN ONE DAY! And if I cannot do that, I will do 100 laps around Konoha ON MY HANDS!"

"...Hm? Did you say something?" Kakashi inquired, turning to face the _thing_ 'innocently'.

"Gah! Curse you, and your cool and hip attitude, Kakashi!" Gai exclaimed irately, holding his head in his hands in a distraught gesture.

"Does it look like I care?" the blank-faced Hatake responded, wishing the caterpillar would hurry and go away. Ever since that debacle with the drunken Naru, the stupid bowl-cut had gone out of his way to make Kakashi's quiet life a misery. At random times, whether day or night, the strange moron would show up out of nowhere; issuing contests left and right. Every time the _thing_ appeared in front of Kakashi, he felt like throwing a god-damn tantrum!

And to the genius' ire, everyone else found his dilemma _so_ hilarious that they did NOTHING to help him. Not even his own father would!

Why did the caterpillar come after _him_? Why not Genma? Why not Naru's fanboys? Why was it always HIM!

Screaming mentally up to the heaven, the silver-head cried, 'DOES SOMEONE HATE ME UP THERE?!'

* * *

A few weeks went by, and our favorite blonde girl had the most _brilliant_ idea to get Young-Kakashi to act a little more like Kakashi-sensei. After another day of school, she asked him, "Hey, Kakashi, want to go on a walk with me? It helps build your awareness skills if you go around crowded places."

Finding not much reason to decline, and because Naru's odd training methods were effective, the boy agreed with eye-smiles.

"If anyone asks, just say you got lost on the Road of Life," the blonde child informed her companion.

"...I guess," Kakashi replied in confusion. Getting lost on the 'Road of Life'? That was an odd name for a training exercise.

* * *

Three hours later, Asuma, his friends, and an impatient Obito were waiting for Naru and Kakashi to show up. They all had planned to train together, yet the two last members had not arrived... for THREE HOURS! Even the chronically-late Obito was present!

Then, Gai came to the weirdest conclusion that the 'beautiful flower' and his 'eternal rival' were on a date. The bowl-cut paced back and forth, becoming edgy by the minute.

"Argh! Where are they! They're running late!" Obito whined in annoyance.

Everyone else- minus Gai- rolled their eyes and Anko scoffed, "Like you're one to talk." The outgoing Uchiha had arrived TWO HOURS after the designated time. What right did he have to complain?

* * *

An approaching set of footsteps woke the waiting children from their lazy stupors. They turned to see Naru and Kakashi walking at a sedate pace.

"You're late!" Obito yelled at the two newcomers.

Kakashi rolled his eyes and retorted blandly, "Hypocrite. _You're_ the one who's ALWAYS coming late. I bet you weren't on time, either."

The chronically-late boy scrunched up his face, offended, and defensively argued, "I had a good reason!"

"Oh yeah?" the other boy inquired with a skeptical face. Judging by the way Asuma and his gang rolled their eyes upward; the Uchiha had used a pathetic excuse... again.

Obito sheepishly scratched the back of his neck and said, "I was helping an old lady cross the street, and had to go the long way around when a black cat crossed my path."

Face displaying a deadpanned expression, Kakashi spoke sarcastically, "I _totally _believe you."

Angry, the goggle-wearing child snapped, "Then what's your excuse!"

"I got lost on the Road of Life," the masked boy replied frankly. After all, Naru never did tell him the name of the 'training exercise'.

The others- besides the blonde girl- looked at him in disbelief. Then, Obito yelled out, "LIAR! That's worse than mine!"

Kakashi furrowed his brows in bafflement and answered, "But it's true. Ask Naru."

The mentioned blonde was currently trying to muffle her laughter. In this timeline, she had created the somewhat-tardy side of her sensei. Pitying her future-counterpart, Naru apologized in her head, 'Gomen, lil me!', still trying to hide her guffaws.


	25. Naru's Bday

**AN:**

**Hey, guys! It's been a while. I'm getting used to jr. year and practicing for SAT's and stuff. I don't really like all this work though; I get less sleep.**

**By the way, I'm like, so into the Kdrama 'To the Beautiful You', 'Arang', and 'Faith/The Great Doctor'. I just wish they wouldn't make them so short.**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

For our favorite time traveler, today was a special day, in more than one way. It was supposed to be the teen's seventeenth birthday, but now, it could not be. Uzumaki Naruto no longer existed; a young girl named Namikaze Naru took her place. This day was also supposed to be the seventeenth anniversary of the 'Kyuubi's Attack' and her parents' demise, yet things had changed. Naru did not know what to think of October 10 anymore.

The girl knew that to everyone else in this era, October 10 was just another day in life. None of them had experienced the dreadful event that changed Konoha. No one here knew _who _held the Kyuubi, so they did not send hate-filled glares or gossip her way. The village's precious Yondaime had not perished, and loved ones that had died during the Kyuubi's rampage were still alive.

Then, where did that leave Naru? October 10 was the most significant day in her life. It was the day she had lost her father, her mother, and her familial childhood. It was the day when villagers detested her the most, and it was the day when she would have survived another lonely year. All she had was her Jiji, then Iruka-sensei, later the Rookie Eleven, her godfather, and Tsunade-baachan.

Today, her homesickness seemed to get stronger than before. When Naru was younger, the village may have been difficult to live in, but she persevered, believing she could have at least one good birthday in it. When she became a genin, things were too busy, and her thirteen-fifteenth birthdays passed without much celebration. Perhaps, it was her sixteenth birthday that was her first 'real' birthday. The man that was the closest to being her father was Jiraiya, Naru's precious godfather and sensei. He had bought her that jumpsuit and cloak her sixteen-year-old-self wore, which became the blonde's closest treasures. Her dear godfather's gifts could never be replaced.

But now, everything's different. Her parents were alive, her godfather was happier than she'd ever seen him, Sarutobi-jiji was still alive to keep her company like his future-self, Sakumo-jisan was practically a family friend, she had Kakashi, Asuma, Gai, and all those other people the time traveler once knew as someone different. Everything had changed.

What did October 10 mean anymore? Naru never experienced a birthday with her parents, so how was she supposed to act around them? How did a daughter act on her special day? Was she supposed to cry, laugh, or throw a tantrum?

Yet, feeling insecure, the teen-in-disguise acted cowardly and left the apartment; claiming that she was going to go train. All she really did was walk around Konoha, which wasn't truly her home. Whenever a villager smiled her way or greeted her, Naru wore a mask of her jubilant-self. Looking left, right, up, or below, nothing appeared to be familiar. The Hokage Tower was cleaner and sturdier than she remembered, the academy appeared emptier and smaller, Ichiraku Ramen did not exist, and her favorite spot on the Hokage Mountain wasn't there.

This wasn't Uzumaki Naruto's home; this was Namikaze Naru's. Uzumaki Naruto did not belong here, but Namikaze Naru probably did. Not the 'demon-child' or Jinchuriki, but the Yellow Flash's little sister.

The emotionally lost Naru congratulated herself, 'Happy seventeenth birthday, Uzumaki Naruto.'

* * *

A little mollified, but subtly dejected, the time traveler returned home. Opening the apartment door, she was startled to hear, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NARU!" from the living room. The birthday girl looked up to see her parents, Jiraiya, Sarutobi-jiji, the Hatake family, Asuma and his friends, and...was that Tsunade? Hadn't the old hag ditched the village yet?

Then, her parents walked up to her confused-self, crouching down to her current height. Kushina and Minato softly congratulated with a happy smile, "Happy birthday, Naru-chan." The poor girl didn't know what to say. She didn't think they'd make such a big deal out of it.

The others observed from the side as Naru suddenly ducked her head down, and raised an arm against her eyes. She tried to stop her sobs from coming out, but it was difficult. Like a dam had just burst, her pent up emotions were released from her trembling stature. After a moment, Naru lifted her tear-streaked visage and spoke as sincerely as she could, "I...Thank you, everyone." She briefly let out a joyous laugh, mysteriously feeling weightless by the surprise the others had created...just for her.

This was what Naru had always desired to experience; a proper birthday with all of her precious people. Although there was no Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei, Sai, or anyone else from her time; it was alright. Above everything else, she had gotten to celebrate with her mother, father, godfather, and Jiji. If she wasn't as strong-willed as she was, Naru would've cried for an hour in happiness.

And to show her joy, the girl leaped onto her parents, squeezing them very tightly. Speaking so low that no one else but the little family could hear, "I love you, kaa-san, tou-san," the birthday girl mumbled shakily. Burying her face onto her parents' shoulders, Naru relished in the warmth her mother and father emitted.

The two surprised adults looked at each other from over their daughter's head, and then gladly returned her embrace. 'We love you too,' was the tacit reply.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jiraiya and the Hokage were off in a little corner together. "It's been difficult for the girl," Sarutobi let out thoughtfully.

"Yeah," his student agreed, not taking his eyes off of the family scene nearby. Truly, his future-goddaughter had been carrying too much for someone so young. Normal people would break to pieces under that kind of pressure, but she didn't show it. It must be very taxing for the girl, but she kept on going.

Jiraiya closed his eyes resignedly as he contemplated. Hearing about things from the future made him realize that his future-self hadn't been the best godfather Naru could have. He had practically ABANDONED his precious student's only child to live as an orphan, most likely choosing to run away from painful memories. Hell, if Minato, Kushina, Sakumo, and Orochimaru became what their future-selves were; the former three dead and the last being a traitor, Jiraiya was sure he'd run away too. So, what right did he have to call himself a teacher, or a godfather? He had failed his duty, and did not do everything he should have before he died. From Naru's words, he could see that he had only known her for THREE years. Just where had he been all her life? The girl didn't even know about her heritage until _after_ he kicked the bucket, so Jiraiya was certain they weren't as close as they should've been.

It wasn't like he deserved it either. For over twelve years, he neglected Minato's legacy and condemned her to a life of misery. Maybe it was only right that he died when Naru was sixteen. It must be God's punishment for deserting an innocent child for his own selfish despair.

Jiraiya really didn't know how to make it up to his goddaughter, either. He concluded, incorrectly, that the girl didn't need her godfather. The white-haired man sighed dejectedly, helpless more than he ever considered possible.

* * *

"Alright! Time to cut the cake!" a hyper Obito cheered, like a squirrel on crack. The others were exasperated because they assumed that it was okay to let the Uchiha eat candy. Apparently, that was not so, since he couldn't sit still and keep his mouth shut.

Anko wailed in agony, clutching her ears with her hands, and whined irately, "Shut up!" All of her friends tried to fight off an incoming headache by plugging their ears with their fingers.

"Make me!" the twitching Obito goaded, sticking his tongue out at Anko.

The purple-haired girl stomped up to the boy, intending to smash his face in with a fist, but Asuma intervened by holding her back, "Oi, don't do it. I've tried that last time, but it doesn't do anything. He just bounces back, more energetic than before." The young Sarutobi boy was also annoyed because Gai wouldn't shut up about how 'youthful' and 'beautiful' Naru's family hug was.

Fortunately for everyone's sanity, Sakumo had found duct tape in the kitchen, and managed to get a jittery Obito muzzled. Gai argued, saying how 'unyouthful' that was, so the Hatake head decided to shut the spandex-kid up too.

The surrounding spectators sighed in relief and turned their attention to the birthday girl and her candle-lit cake. Kushina was a bit impatient because she was looking forward to Naru's reaction to the cake she made. The red-head tried very hard to make her daughter's first, proper birthday as memorable as she could.

Taking in a deep breath, Naru paused for a second, and exhaled, blowing out the miniature flames on the wax. 'Happy seventeenth birthday, me,' the girl congratulated herself, a little demoralized that she could not celebrate with the people she once knew.

* * *

With full stomachs, it was time to open the birthday presents. First was from Gai, who gave his crush an orange, spandex suit. Everyone else choked in shock. Who the hell would wear that!

However, Naru proved them wrong, exclaiming joyously, "It's orange! Thanks, Gai!" She beamed a happy smile at the pleased bowl-cut.

Minato, Kushina, and Jiraiya were speechlessly horrified. 'No child of mine will ever wear that monstrosity!' the parents raged in unison. The godfather slapped a hand to his face and groaned in dismay. No student of his will ever wear that..._thing _while he lived!

Moving on, Naru's second gift was from Genma and Raido, since they practically wanted to give her the same thing- a training boken. The girl didn't know what she was going to do with it, but thanked the boys anyways. Anko gave the birthday girl some dango coupons, possibly attempting to 'corrupt' the ramen junkie to the dark side. But no, Naru would be strong and not waver from the ramen-goodness!

Kurenai got the blonde powerhouse a book on genjutsu, and the horrible genjutsu-user was a little miffed. Meanwhile, Asuma had gotten a pair of orange ear studs, much to the delight of the orange maniac. Naru never had time for something like that, so she was looking forward to getting her ears pierced.

Then, when the cheerful girl opened Jiraiya's gift, she was stunned. Her godfather had gotten her a new cloak, not really the same as her old one, but it was coincidently similar. Naru gripped the material with trembling hands, not expecting such a sentimental present. It almost made her burst into tears when the word 'orange' was sewn onto the back of the cloak. This one word symbolized the acknowledgment she sought from her dear father-figure. Jiraiya believed in her dreams and was proud of her! It was something Naru strived to do before he died, and now, she had it.

With a beaming smile, the time traveler ran up to her godfather, giving the surprised man a big bear hug, despite her petite stature. "Thank you, Ero-sennin," the emotional girl murmured into Jiraiya's waist. The shocked godfather came out of his stupor, and slowly responded to the embrace with an awkward pat on his goddaughter's head. Kushina crowed in glee, snapping pictures left and right.

* * *

Once Naru got her act together, she separated herself from her beloved godfather and went to open more gifts. Much to her happiness, she had obtained some ramen coupon from Kakashi. "Thanks a bunch, Kakashi!" she squealed in elation, her megawatt-smile back in place. The poor boy blushed in embarrassment, but was secretly pleased. Gai and Minato glared at the silver-haired genius; miffed that their 'rival' for Naru's affection- Minato wanted to be the doting parent- had received such a merry reaction.

Oblivious to it all, the birthday girl continued to unwrap another present. A scroll with wind techniques from Sarutobi-jiji, and some basic lightning ones from Sakumo were given to her. Very excited to have new jutsus, Naru gave each man a big hug, squeezing them hard. Now it was Jiraiya's turn to be put out. His present was still the best, believe it!

However, much to everyone's indignation- sans Kushina, Obito, and Asuma's gang-, the blonde's Uchiha sidekick had supplied her with more pranking equipment.

God damn it! They had just finished the repairs from the last prank!

* * *

Naru's parents told her that they were saving their gifts for later, so she began to try out the new clothes she had gotten. To most of everyone's horror, she decided to put on the orange spandex, and do a 'good guy' pose- shining teeth and all. They were also annoyed by Gai's exclamations of 'BEAUTIFUL YOUTH'.

Obito could not help but feel a little envious of Naru's clothes, since he thought it looked a bit cool to pose in. Kushina guffawed uncontrollably, even though she didn't like her child wearing that monstrosity, it was hilarious!

* * *

When all of the guests had left for the night, the unofficial Namikaze family sat down in the living room. Minato and Kushina placed two gift wrapped boxes on the coffee table, and Naru opened them. The seventeen-year-old-in-disguise was astonished to find items that she never expected to have in her busy life.

Kushina sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, like Naru did when she was embarrassed, and told the stunned girl, "I've always wanted to make clothes for my future children, so I just...hehehe."

Her daughter held up the colorful kimono in her hands, tracing over the Uzumaki swirl on the back. Her face expressed awe and surprise, and she was not sure what to do. Besides the festival during her recent teenage years, the blonde never wore such extravagant clothing. But, she appreciated what her mother did and breathed, "Thank you, kaa-san... It's beautiful."

Pulling a Hinata, Kushina blushed a moderate pink and twiddled with her fingers. It was an embarrassing ambition of hers to make her children clothes, but she was happy that Naru liked it.

Next, the blonde child held up her father's gift, a white cloak that looked exactly like the one he would wear when he takes up the Hokage mantle. Wide-eyed, Naru looked at her father, her actions revealing her confusion. Like Kushina, Minato got a little embarrassed and rambled, "Well...this was the design of the cloak I wanted customized with 'Yellow Flash' on it, but I realized that my future-self would've had 'Fourth Hokage' on his. And knowing that, I don't think Sandaime would've let you keep it, since my enemies would find out about you... You didn't inherit anything from Kushina and I, so I thought you might like one with 'Orange Shinobi' on it. You can't be the Hokage yet, so I couldn't have that on the material..." The blonde man fidgeted in his seat, a bit uncomfortable with the attention he was getting from his daughter. She was neither frowning, nor smiling, so the man didn't know how she was reacting to her present.

Unexpectedly, Naru laughed, loud and blissful. Both parents observed their offspring in bewilderment. "It's great, tou-san. Both you and kaa-san have given me beautiful things," the girl smiled brightly. Really, if her parents had survived the Kyuubi Attack, would she have received all of these priceless gifts?

Relieved, Kushina got excited again, and picked up a bag from beside the couch. "Ne, Naru-chan! I was shopping when I saw this, and I just had to buy the whole set!" The cheery red-head displayed three pairs of pajamas; clearly one for a dad, one for a mom, and one for a child. They were all blue, with little colorful froggies dotted all over the cloth. Minato chuckled in amusement. His lover could be so unpredictable sometimes.

* * *

As majority of Konoha's residents slumbered, the moonlight glowed upon a little family of three. Kushina was one side of the bed, Minato on the other, and Naru right in the middle. The adults each wrapped an arm around their child, and the smallest of them all placed her own hands on top of her parents'. It was like a perfect picture from a fairytale.


	26. With My Two Suns

**AN:**

**Hey guys! It's been awhile. In school, I read the **_**Scarlet Letter**_**, and boy, I was so confused by that story. Now, I'm reading the "Crucible", and I don't really like it that much. It's so ridiculous, and I want to just slap all of those characters silly.**

**In this chapter, I kinda used 'Skip Beat' element in it; borrowing Kyoko's stone idea.**

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for Naruto talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

One Namikaze Naru and one Hatake Kakashi were a little impatient. Today, it was the Ninja Academy's graduation exams, and the two five-year olds had signed up for the early exams. For Kakashi, he wanted to graduate for his own sanity's sake. But for Naru, she had made a promise to herself and her godfather that she'd graduate as soon as possible, then go on a training trip with Jiraiya. Since there was no Sasuke to save within three years, the time traveler had a lot more time to continue her training. So now, the two youngsters were waiting for their name to be called.

Earlier, the two watched as some older students came out of the exam room, whooping in joy, and watched as some bawled in disappointment. Kakashi and Naru were a little pissed off because some of the new genin were gloating loud and immaturely, waving their new forehead-protectors around like it was a gold medal. Naturally, the Hatake heir just stared at the taunting imbeciles with a blank face, while Naru decided to knock the genins down a peg or two.

"Hatake Kakashi!" Umino Daisuke beckoned from the exam room doorway.

The said boy stood up from his seat and sedately walked into the dreary room. The oak doors closed with a soft creak, and Naru sighed. She was alone in the classroom now, since the early examinees had to go after all the regular twelve-year olds finished.

Moodily bored, the usually-hyper blonde laid down on the floor and channeled her inner Nara. Gazing out of the wide windows above, she could see the fluffy clouds floating with no care in the world. Shikamaru was right; this was relaxing when you put your mind to it.

Naru continued to look at the ever-changing clouds and didn't notice the oak doors opening. With the clacking of sandals, a pair of small feet walked up to her head. "Hey, it's your turn," a returning Kakashi told her with a few taps of his feet.

Rolling over onto her stomach, the blonde girl stretched like a cat and yawned, "Hai~."

* * *

A few minutes later, the new pair of five-year old genins walked out of the academy, not bothering to look back at their school for the last time.

During her exam, Naru decided to do what she did to Iruka on her third exam, and used **Oiroke no jutsu **on the two proctors for her henge test. Sporting a bloody nose, Umino Daisuke-sensei yelled at the prankster, blushing to the roots of his hair in embarrassment. The mischievous child just guffawed uncontrollably, holding her stomach as she laughed at her academy teacher. The other proctor was out cold, twitching once in awhile. Feeling an incoming headache coming along, Daisuke dismissed the new blonde genin by giving her a shiny forehead-protector. Giggling all the while, the prankster left the room with a skip in her steps.

So now, Naru strode out into the open area, the sunlight momentarily blinded her with its light rays. Squinting her eyes with a small sigh, she raised a hand to make a temporary shade for her vision. Gazing up at the expanse of blue sky ahead, Naru could see little birds flitting around in circles and odd patterns, like they were congratulating her new promotion. It was strangely peaceful to the blonde.

"What are you looking at?" Kakashi asked the immobile girl.

"Hmm? Nothing... nothing really," she replied mysteriously. Then, the blonde began to walk towards of the gates again. Her companion furrowed his brows in confusion, but followed the girl anyways.

* * *

*BANG*

Confetti and streamers rained down upon Kakashi and Naru as they walked into the restaurant their families reserved. "Congratulations!" everyone cheered joyously.

Minato, Kushina, and Sakumo came up to the two newcomers and smiled down at both children. "Good job, Kakashi, Naru," Sakumo praised proudly.

Kushina grinned foxily and held up two gift-wrapped boxes in front of the two new genins. "What's this for, Kushina-nee?" Naru asked giddily. The girl took the box offered to her and began inspecting it from all angles.

The red-head was still grinning and said, "Something us three- Minato, Sakumo-sempai, and I- put together for both of you."

Curious, Kakashi and Naru unwrapped their presents; the boy neatly undoing the wrapping paper, while the girl ripped it straight off of her box. Inside the Hatake heir's package, there was a new set of kunai and shuriken, with new pouches and clothes. It was similar with his rival's, except her clothes contained strips of orange with blue and black. Looking up at the people who gave them their new items, Naru and Kakashi thanked them merrily; the boy displaying his signature eye-smiles.

Minato and Sakumo ruffled their charge's hair, and went to mingle in with the rest of the partygoers. Kushina gave both children a noogie, much to their annoyance, and went to find some of her own friends.

Kakashi and Naru scowled as they tried to straighten their hair out, walking towards Asuma's group in a small corner. "Hey, congrats guys," Genma nodded their way.

"Thanks! Congrats to you, too," our favorite time traveler chirped with a grin.

Raido snickered and whispered conspiringly, "Genma almost didn't pass cuz he kinda forgot the bunshin technique."

Annoyed by his friend, the bandana-boy snapped, "Shut up! At least I didn't forget how to throw shuriken."

This time, Raido was embarrassed and defended himself, "That was because I kept on training with my bokken for a long time! The only reason I forgot about my shuriken was because I focused on my swordsmanship!"

Genma nodded mildly and retorted, "Uh-huh. Just keep telling yourself that- Ow!" Anko had returned from getting some dango, and didn't want the arguing boys to ruin her good mood. So she ended up punching Raido and Genma on the head.

Asuma and Naru snickered behind their hands. Kakashi and Kurenai rolled their eyes in exasperation.

Suddenly, Gai turned up from behind his friends, and exclaimed resolutely, "Kakashi, MY ETERNAL RIVAL, I challenge you!"

Startled, his friends jumped in surprise, and swiveled around to face their...spandex-obsessed friend. A little annoyed, Kakashi inquired, "What now, Gai?"

Grinning confidently, the bowl-cut pumped his fists into the air, "I challenge you to an eating contest! Whoever can eat the most ramen is the winner! If I cannot win, then I will do 500 sit-ups and 500 push-ups!"

At the word 'ramen', Naru's eyes sparkled in hunger, and interrupted, "Ramen! Wait, I'm joining in on this thing!" Her other friends sighed in resignation, and Kakashi suddenly had a bright idea.

"Hey, why don't you stand in for me, Naru?" the masked-genius suggested innocently.

Seeing no reason to refuse, the blonde agreed, "I guess. You don't want to participate?"

"Not really. Besides, I'm sure there would be more ramen on the table if less people join in," Kakashi remarked cheerfully.

Drooling at the thought of bowls and bowls of delicious noodles, Naru nodded her head frenziedly.

* * *

"You did that on purpose, didn't you," Genma stated, with a deadpanned expression on his face. Everyone was watching Gai and Naru eat bowl after bowl in cheers and grins. The bandana-boy had an inkling as to why Kakashi would let their ramen junkie of a friend take his place. It was probably to stop Gai from pestering his 'eternal rival'.

Eye-smiling innocently, the masked-boy said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

* * *

"Would you look at that? Namikaze Naru has finished 6 bowls of ramen, while Maito Gai has eaten 4! Just where does that girl pack it all?" an announcer- alright, Tsunade- exclaimed into a mircrophone. This time, the busty gambler made sure to bet on Naru. The ramen junkie had a hunch that the Legendary Sucker would, but wasn't bothered by it, seeing as how the granny could never lose with a bet on Konoha's Luckiest Blonde. Naru's very good luck would negate Tsunade's horrible luck any day!

Jiraiya sat next to his teammate and rolled his eyes, "She loves ramen. I swear, if she was any more of an idiot, she'd fall into a simple trap with ramen bait."

"Hey!" the insulted ramen junkie snapped at her godfather, menacingly. Jiraiya hastily braced his hands up in the air, apologizing with a scowling face. Sheesh, if you're insulting the girl about her appetite, she doesn't care. If you talk about her height, she'll glare at you and beat you up. But if you diss both her AND her _precious _ramen, she'll go into a hissy fit and prank you 'til you die. For being a child of Minato and Kushina, Naru was more of a Kushina Number Two.

Sometimes, Jiraiya had second thoughts about his goddaughter's training trip. He really didn't know if he could survive with the unpredictable child. She'd already shown him that she didn't appreciate his research.

* * *

"Ah~, I'm stuffed," a content Naru let out, rubbing her full stomach. A humble stack of sixteen bowls were placed on her left, and a crying Gai on her right. The bowl-cut had only eaten seven bowls before puking into a toilet. Even though his opponent could've stopped after he lost, she just kept going, and going, and going. Everyone else just watched as the enigmatic girl vacuumed noodles after noodles. Minato had slapped a hand to his face, groaning, while Kushina looked a little envious, since her daughter got to eat so much ramen.

Some in the audience grumbled in irritation, annoyed that they had lost their bets. Others, like Tsunade were basking in their riches. Jiraiya edged away from his teammate, knowing from past experiences that whenever the Legendary Sucker won, something bad was going to happen. The Toad Sannin promised himself to sleep with one eye open. Too bad he didn't know about Naru's luck.

* * *

Kakashi turned to Genma and held out a hand, palm up, and said, "Pay up."

His bandana-wearing companion muttered obscenities under his breath and fished out some cash from his pocket. This was his six months' worth of allowance!

Anko cackled merrily in the background, eyes twinkling as she observed others losing their money. She had betted on Naru, so now; the dango-lover could buy as many dangos as she wanted!

* * *

The next morning, Jiraiya and Naru were heading towards the gates for their journey. Once they got there, a group of people were waiting for them. Minato and Kushina were beside the Hokage as Asuma's gang stood next to the Hatake family. Genma and Raido were practically worshipping the ground Sakumo stood on, since they aspired to be great swordsmen like the legendary White Fang.

As the departing duo got into reaching distance, Minato flew over to his mini-me, and cried as he hugged the living daylights out of her, "Wah! Naru-chan, you don't have to go right now! There's still time to reconsider! N-Nii-chan is...Nii-chan's gunna be sad when you're gone! You're still young; you can go when you're forty!"

Everyone else sweatdropped, while Naru flailed her arms desperately, feeling the oxygen leaving her body. Kushina pitied her, so the red-head grabbed Minato by the collar and dragged him away from his mini-me. Of course, the man tried to wriggle away from his lover's hold, attempting to anchor Naru from leaving the gates, but Kushina wouldn't budge. Sakumo came over and tranquilized his junior comrade with lightning, and the great Yellow Flash went limp.

The Hokage chuckled as he took a drag from his pipe. He walked up to the time traveler and ruffled her hair good-naturedly. Naru whined at the gesture, but was grinning wide at her beloved Sarutobi-jiji.

One by one, Asuma and his friends bade their farewells, Gai crying a river as he bellowed out, "Oh BEAUTIFUL FLOWER! I am going to miss you so! I hope that in your training, you will maintain your YOUTHFULNESS and bask in the SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH!" He gave Naru a watery smile, doing his signature good-guy pose. Others dry-heaved at the sight, but Naru returned his sentiments by doing her own good-guy pose.

Kushina couldn't take it anymore and let out a deafening laugh. Jiraiya and Kakashi looked like they swallowed a bitter lemon, watching the two weirdoes in horror.

When Naru turned to face Kakashi, the boy couldn't help but flinch because she still held her ridiculous pose. Chortling at his reaction, the blonde girl trotted up to him and spoke happily, "Get used to it, Kakashi. Gai's not going to let up on you."

The masked boy glared at her, "Don't remind me of that..._thing_!"

His rival only giggled some more, then calmed down a little, "Hey, don't go emo while I'm gone."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and replied, "I won't. Make sure you don't kill anyone with your idiotic tendencies."

Glaring playfully at him, Naru retorted, "You better get stronger by the time I get back. I'll make sure to beat you six ways to Sunday."

"That's my line. You better get stronger, because I'm not going to slack in my training with Minato-sensei," the Hatake heir countered.

Jiraiya was getting a bit impatient, so he told his new apprentice, "Hey Gaki, let's go already."

Naru rolled her eyes and responded in annoyance, "Yeah, yeah. I heard ya', you Ero-sennin."

Fuming, her godfather shouted, "How many times do I have to tell you! Don't call me that! My name's Jiraiya, or Jiraiya-sensei!"

However, his goddaughter ignored his exclamations in favor of holding out a necklace to Kakashi. It was similar to Tsunade's necklace, two vertically long beads next to a purple stone. "Here," Naru offered to the silver-head.

Scrutinizing the object, Kakashi took the necklace, and asked in confusion, "What's this for?"

His rival smiled sheepishly and replied, "I saw this at the market, and I thought it was cool. I have my own, too. See?" She displayed her own necklace that was around her neck; hers a mixture of red and yellow, since it wasn't fully orange. Continuing a little embarrassedly she spoke, "I used to hold all of my worries and sadness into my old necklace. It gave me some peace, so I thought that you could use one too."

It was a ridiculous thing to do with a necklace, in Kakashi's opinion, but was a little touched by Naru's thoughtfulness. Putting on eye-smiles, the boy thanked her, "I'll keep it safe, Naru."

Relieved, the blonde girl smiled and quickly gave him a big bear hug. Stunned for a moment, Kakashi didn't respond, but chuckled when he returned the embrace.

Kushina and Sakumo shared conspiring grins, while a now-awake Minato narrowed his eyes at the two suspiciously. As much as he would love to separate his little mini-me from the brat, his lovely girlfriend sealed him to freeze while standing.

Once Naru let go of the embrace, Kushina removed the seal and looked at her boyfriend with a quirked eyebrow, "Will you behave now?" Grunting sourly, Minato nodded stiffly.

Suddenly, something rammed into his gut, and the bewildered jounin looked down to see his daughter grinning up at him. "I'm gunna miss you, Tou-san," the girl whispered into his stomach.

Eyes softening, her father hugged her tightly, and whispered back, "I will too, Naru-chan. Take care of yourself."

Giggling, the mini-me grinned at her father again, and hugged him one more time, before heading over to her mother. Kushina practically squeezed Naru in her arms like a teddy bear. "Oh, little Naru-chan, I'm gunna miss you," the read-head whispered into her daughter's hair.

"Mf gmph fu moo," came the muffled reply.

Not understanding what she said, Kushina asked, "What?"

Naru leaned back from her mother's embrace and breathed, "I said, I'm gunna miss you too."

Chuckling, the Uzumaki princess released her daughter, and gave her two envelopes. "Read these when you're out of the village."

Taking the envelopes, the blonde girl inquired curiously, "What's in them?"

Kushina winked and answered vaguely, "You'll see. Just read them when you're out on your journey."

"Okay," the confused girl replied uncertainly.

Naru walked over to her waiting godfather, who stood with Sakumo. The Hatake head smiled down at the girl and said, "Good luck, Naru. Come back in one piece."

Giving her kind of-uncle a thumb up, she cheerily exclaimed, "You bet!"

"Alright, let's go already," an impatient Jiraiya complained at the side.

His apprentice rolled her eyes and walked out of the gate with him. Turning back to face their friends and family, Naru waved and shouted, "Bye! I'll try to keep in touch!"

The others waved back in return; Gai jumping up in the air enthusiastically.

* * *

Once Naru and Jiraiya were out of sight, Minato spoke to Kakashi, "You brat. How dare you hug Naru!"

The masked boy paled and jumped away from the overprotective daddy. "W-Wait, Minato-sensei! She started it!"

Glaring down at his new student menacingly, the Yellow Flash cracked his knuckles, "You hugged her back! I still haven't gotten you for that k-kiss during the paint war, either. You'll face divine punishment like a man, Kakashi."

The poor boy shook his head in denial, running away as fast as he could.

"Come back here!" Minato shouted angrily. He chased after his new apprentice.

The remaining people watched with sweatdrops. Kushina sighed in resignation and scowled, "Stupid Minato."

"Hey, let's go after him before my son ceases to exist," Sakumo spoke in annoyance. Really, Stupid Minato's trying to kill his only child. That was a HUGE no, no.

* * *

"What's that?" Jiraiya questioned his young companion as they traveled on a ship.

Taking out the envelopes her mother gave her, Naru replied, "Something Kaa-san gave me." Opening the one of the gifts, the girl read:

_To beloved my beloved daughter,_

_Hey, Naru-chan! It's Dad! Are you doing well on your journey? Kushina and I wrote letters to you, so you would have something of us to keep with you. I'm not really good with these types of things, but I'll try my best for you._

_First and foremost, I am thankful to be a father. As an orphan, I've always dreamt of creating my own family, and to be able to live that dream is the best gift I could ever receive. _

_Hey Naruto, if Kushina and I ever have another child, I wish that the girl/boy would be just like you. To be strong, loving, persevering, to be a great shinobi, and to carry on the Will of Fire. You have many aspects that are admirable, and I hope those traits would be passed onto any other child of mine. _

_I am also proud of being a father to **you**. I don't know how to show how regretful I am for what my future-self has done to you. I never wished to my children to be a Jinchuriki. I don't think I deserve to be a father for what I would've, or had done. I don't blame you if you ever hated me, Kushina, or Konoha. However, I can confidently presume that my future-self had faith in you to bear the burden with a good heart. I know I would. Isn't it a parent's duty to believe in their child? I know that you were the right person to carry on my legacy, Naruto. _

_You've also endured so many hardships without me and Kushina. You became an orphan, another thing I never wanted you to be. It must have been difficult to shoulder everything as a young child. Even now, it must be painful to keep on holding the world onto your shoulders, never telling anyone who you really are. I wish that I could've been there every step of the way, but I am not too remorseful about it. Without me and Kushina, you've become a wonderful shinobi, blowing away everyone's expectations of you. It was also probably why you were named 'Naruto', you know. Jiraiya-sensei wrote a book called __The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi__, and I believe that you could live up to that name. You've already begun to show that you can do what it takes. Like the Naruto in the story, you fought to attain peace, and you could have, if you were still in your time. Your last battle with Tobi may have been difficult, but your strong heart and determination would've aided you to victory._

_You might not know it, but you possess an extraordinary power. Listening to you and Sandaime-sama talk about your life made me realize something. Naruto, you possess a charismatic aura that attracts all kinds of people. Your pain and suffering lets you connect with those of similar lives, and your confidence and determination lets others see that you could do what they thought was impossible. It's a fascinating method of 'healing', Naruto. With these bonds you've created, the world was a step closer to world peace. I wish I could have been there with you, throughout all these encounters. I would've loved to witness the world you were changing, one by one. It would have been great, ne, Naru-chan?_

_However, like my future-self, don't give up hope when all seems lost. Anything can be rebuilt with hope and new seeds. Remember, our home isn't just made of buildings or trees. It's made with our Will of Fire and precious people that love our home. With those things, any home is worth more than a few missing buildings._

_ In the end, we are also a family of shinobi, Naruto. What we experience and suffer will be more difficult than that of civilian lives, but do not lose to that suffering. Live in it, but never stray from hope. Then someday… you will see the happiness you've longed for._

_And now that we're together, it'll get better. You don't have to carry it all on your own anymore. I'm here, Kushina's here, Jiraiya-sensei, Sarutobi-sama, Kakashi, and everyone else. We're all here with you. If you think that you can only do this alone, you would become another Tobi. Never forget that, Naruto._

_One more thing, I've sealed a scroll in this letter. I think you would love to use some of my other techniques, besides the __**Rasengan**__. And no, it's not the __**Hiraishin**__. What I've enclosed in the letter are techniques that Jiraiya-sensei can go over with you. Everything else I know, you'll learn them upon your return. I trust you to use these skills with good intentions, Naruto._

___Don't forget, above everything else, you are my most precious gift. You can never be replaced, my daughter._

_Let's face the future together, ne?_

_I love you,_

_You father, Namikaze Minato_

* * *

Little drops of water smudged the paper, and Naru sniffled as she looked over her father's writing. She traced a finger over the words, attempting to memorize the feel of her father's letters.

God, she was turning into a baby.

Quickly wiping away excess tears, the time traveler carefully put her father's letter back into its envelop and put it away. Then, she opened her mother's letter, and read:

_To my beloved Naruto,_

_This is your mother talking, so pay attention! _

_No matter what happens, Minato and I truly love you. You have experienced many difficulties in your life, and I was heartbroken at the prospect of leaving you alone. I was torn because I wasn't there to raise you, to love you, cherish you, to teach you everything I know, and all those other things moms do with their kids. I was devastated when you told me that you were the Kyuubi's third Jinchuriki. I didn't want my child to inherit that burden; I'd rather carry it with me to the grave. Same with Minato, I never wanted you to be alone, to live with cold glares from every direction. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to desperately go to the future; to take you away from that fate, but alas, I couldn't. I had to endure with the depressing knowledge of your abysmal childhood, your loneliness and pain; feeling helpless all the while. I couldn't save my own baby from such a cruel life; I don't deserve to be a mother. I'm sorry for not surviving; for not being the mom I should've been. I won't be angry if you hated me at all._

_But then, you forgave me. I couldn't understand why you forgave me. Why did you not hold it against me? It was obvious that I should be punished for my mistakes, so why?_

_And then, you tell me those words, 'What do get when Konoha's Yellow Flash and __Red Hot_-_blooded_ _Habanero come together?' It was wonderful to hear you say 'Orange Hokage', Naruto. It's a good title for the great Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, ne? But more importantly, my heart beat warmly, knowing that you forgave us both; and decided to carry on our legacy. My dear daughter, you are the best thing that came from the mixture of yellow and red. The best of both me and Minato._

_Furthermore, to hear that you were able to receive those precious words I only gave to one other, I was really happy, 'ttebane. Perhaps, that was also my future-self's happiest moment too. To be able to pass on those precious feelings onto you would've been the most joyous moment of my own life. _

___Ne, Naruto, can you hear me? _

___I love you. _

___I love you, and will love you forever, with all of my heart and soul. Even if the world falls into ruin, and even if the darkness reigns, I will never stop loving my precious child._

_Before I go, I'll give you one last thing. To assist you on your quest, I'll pass on some of my personal techniques and some of the Uzumaki seals. It is your right to learn your heritage, and I wouldn't stop you from learning it for the world. You'll definitely use them with good intentions, right? You will live up to your name and follow your heart? __I'm certain you can obtain the peace Minato and Jiraiya sought. I believe in you, Naruto. Konoha's Orange Hokage never gives up, right?_

_Thank you, Naruto. _

_Thank you, for letting me be your mother. _

_Thank you, for letting Minato be your father. _

_Thank you, for being our child; for loving us. _

_Truly, I thank you from the bottom of my heart,__ Naruto._

_I will always love you,_

_You mother, Uzumaki Kushina_

_P.S._

_You want to know something? When I heard about our encounter in your mindscape, I thought to myself, 'Do you see our daughter, Minato? Do you see our beloved child?' _

_I'm very proud of you, Naruto. Don't ever, EVER forget it._

* * *

Clutching onto the paper in a firm grip, Naru gazed out towards the open sea. A moderate breeze blew her way, and the sun was bright and sunny. The girl's eyes glittered happily from the light's reflection, and she contently smiled.

Putting her mother's letter away, a determined fire entered Naru's pupils, and she tightened the knot on her forehead-protector's cloth.

Lifting a hand up to 'grab' the sun, the time traveler clenched her raised hand into a fist. With her two suns, Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto would attain her dreams.

Together.

* * *

**Wah! I cried when I wrote the letters! I tried to convey the thoughts the future-Minato and Kushina had, that they didn't tell Naruto out loud.**

**I don't know if it fit, but it was worth the shot.**

**By the way, when I put the ending for this chapter, I thought about finishing the story with this. It was a good ending scene.**


	27. Special: Peeping is Wrong

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

"Oh ho! That's gotta be a C-cup," a perverse voice commented from a hole in a fence. Jiraiya, the revered Toad Sage, otherwise known as the 'Super Pervert', was currently peeping on the women in the local hot springs.

"You really are shameless, ain't ya', baka Ero-sennin," a young girl spoke bluntly.

A vein throbbed on the 'Ero-sennin's' head, and he swiveled around to face his goddaughter. Hissing lowly, he whispered, "Ssshh! Keep it down! Are ya' trying to get me caught? And for the millionth time! Don't call me Ero-sennin!"

Naru just stared at her perverted godfather, uninterestedly, attempting to pierce a hole through his head with her gaze. Getting a foreboding feeling, Jiraiya fidgeted under the girl's attention.

Then suddenly, Naru shouted to the other side of the fence, "Hey, Kushina-nee, Tsunade-baachan! Ero-sennin's peepin' in on ya'!"

"What!" came the unison of female voices.

Panicking, the pervert glared at his goddaughter and ran for his life. However, chakra chains restricted his movement, and Jiraiya sweated bullets when malicious shadows hovered over him.

* * *

A moment later, the air was filled with the _revered_ Toad Sage wailing shrilly, "IYA!"

* * *

Minato, Kakashi, and Sakumo were bathing in the hot spring when they heard Naru's shout. Sighing in exasperation, the blonde of the three males got up, going back inside to change. Jiraiya-sensei just couldn't keep his hands- or rather, his _eyes_- to himself, could he?

Kakashi turned to his father and asked, "Tou-san, you're not going with Minato-san?"

Relaxing further into the warm water, Sakumo answered lazily, "No. Minato will take care of that stupid pervert. Hell, even if the great Yellow Flash doesn't do it, I'm sure Tsunade, Kushina, and a horde of angry women would gladly bring about divine punishment." Then, the Hatakes heard Jiraiya's wail, and the sound of punches and kicks.

"You look like you're having the time of your life, Jiraiya-sensei," Minato's voice commented mildly.

The pervert's hopeful voice asked, "Minato! Are you here to save me... Hey, what's that kunai for... Wait! You're not going to do what I think you're doing... Calm down! I didn't see anything! I didn't see Tsunade's melons, or Kushina's D-cups... Aahhh! Save me, Naru!"

"No way, you did this to yourself, Ero-sennin," Naru chortled gleefully.

Then, the pattering of running feet was heard beyond the fence. Sakumo and Kakashi could imagine Jiraiya trying to run for his life.

"Ah! Minato, you traitor! How dare you try to harm your dear sensei!" the Toad Sage raged from far away.

"_Dear _Jiraiya-sensei. I've told you many times, DON'T PEEP ON KUSHINA! I told you that if you did it again, I would **Rasengan **your ass!" Minato spoke with flare.

"Ah! Minato-nii said 'ass'!" Naru's voice remarked giddily.

"Ah, wait! Naru-chan, don't repeat that word! That's a foul word to say!" the usually proper man pleaded.

"But you used it," his mini-me pointed out.

"Er..." Minato tried to say, but Jiraiya cackled in glee, breaking the blonde man's train of thought. "What's so funny, you perverted sensei?"

Sakumo could envision the Sannin scowling, and heard the fellow white-haired man say, "Don't call me that! Geez, you're just like Naru. What happened to that cute and obedient student I used to teach?"

Bluntly, Minato replied, "He died when he found out that his own sensei peeped on his girlfriend, _bathing_."

Jiraiya sputtered, "That was an accident! An ACCIDENT, I tell you! I didn't know she was in there!"

"Save your excuses, lecherous old man. You'll feel the wrath of my girlfriend's mighty fist, once I'm done with you," the Namikaze stated adamantly.

*POP*

The bathing Hatakes could see a puff of smoke in the sky. Then, the Toad Sage triumphantly cried, "You'll never catch me!" And vibrations rocked the ground as a big toad hopped away.

Minato sighed and it was silent for a moment.

"Shit! When did you mark me?" Jiraiya demanded loudly.

"When I grabbed your collar, Jiraiya-sensei," his student replied in amusement.

"No, no, no! Please, I'm beggin' ya', Minato! Don't make me go back there!" the elder of the two men pleaded shamelessly.

"Too late... **Rasengan**!" came the blonde man's shout, accompanied by the Toad Sage's cry of pain.

* * *

Continuing oh-so-wisely, Sakumo told his young 'follower', "Kakashi, that's someone you _don't_ want to be like."

Sweatdropping, the boy nodded in agreement.

Too bad Kakashi didn't know how he would react when Icha Icha would be released, in several years.

* * *

**Hmm... Should I end the story here? **

**Decisions, decisions.**


	28. Like, 6 Years Later

**AN:**

**Okay, that 'end of story' thing was a joke; I just wanted to see your reactions.**

**:p**

***Sigh* It's hard to write about characters with little information about them.**

**I might be borrowing Gaara's line for a small part. :p**

**POLL:**

**I'm trying to decide who should take over Naru's training, now that she's back.**

**Sakumo**

**Minato**

**The Third**

**Kushina**

**Shikaku**

**Inoichi**

**Tsunade**

**Someone else you guys want to suggest- w/ the reason why**

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for Naruto talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

The sun was shining up high from the sky, and clouds floated in a carefree manner; signifying a good day. But that didn't mean a thing to Konoha's current gate guards. They were utterly BORED at the moment. One was nodding off to sleep, while his partner propped his head on his hand and dully stared off into space.

Then, a pair of two people strode through the large entrance; one clearly a middle-aged man, and the other a pre-teen girl. The girl's hair was of mid-back length and brightly blonde. She wore black clothing that had light-orange strips running from the sides, and wore a necklace with a reddish-yellow stone in the middle. The man was easy to identify; Jiraiya of the Sannin was the only one with that Kabuki-like attire.

Eyes bulging in surprise, the guard that had been staring nowhere elbowed his partner in the ribs and sat up straight. The other guard grunted in pain and was startled awake. Turning towards the direction his partner's eyes were trained on, the sleepy guard instantly sat up straight with attention. The two sweated bullets since they were caught dozing on duty.

Jiraiya and his young companion observed the guards in amusement; signing in as proof of their return.

When the returning pair walked away from the booth, the nervous guards relaxed in relief. They both thought they were going to die from trepidation.

* * *

With hasty clack of sandals, Namikaze Naru jumped onto a tall pole- like she did when she was sixteen- and shouted for all to hear, "Hey Konoha! Namikaze Naru's back!"

Several villagers were startled by the loud exclamation, and looked up to the owner of the loud voice. Jiraiya, who was also on the ground, chuckled at the flashy way his goddaughter announced her return.

"Hmm… She's grown wonderfully, Jiraiya," a deep, masculine voice commented beside the hermit. Jiraiya turned to face Sakumo, who seemed amused by the young Namikaze's actions. The Toad Sage snorted and replied, "That's what you think. All I see is a brat that doesn't know how to appreciate my amazing talents."

His friend chuckled and gazed up towards the pre-teen on the metal pole, "You always say that Jiraiya, but you and I both know how proud you are of your blonde students."

The hermit huffed in embarrassment and switched his attention to his current apprentice, "Hey brat, let's go! We have to go report to the Old Man!"

The child from above shifted her head, hearing her godfather's shout, and leapt down from her perch. Seeing who was standing beside her sensei, the girl grinned happily, "Hey Sakumo-jisan. How's it goin'?"

The apparent 'uncle' grinned back and ruffled her blonde head, replying, "You've grown well, Naru." The child scowled playfully and moved away from his hand. Sakumo just grinned wider.

Jiraiya, who was tapping his foot impatiently, whined, "Come on, we're burning daylight!"

Naru and Sakumo rolled their eyes, and the pre-teen scoffed at her godfather, "Yeah right, you Ero-sennin. You just want to hurry and peep on the hot springs."

A vein throbbed dangerously on the 'Ero-sennin's' head; and he attempted to whack the 'rude brat' on the head, but she swiftly dodged the incoming fist. Cackling merrily, Naru ran ahead from the little group, with Jiraiya chasing after her, while Sakumo chuckled as he followed the pair.

* * *

In the Hokage's office, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were reporting in from a long mission when the door opened with a loud bang. The Hokage and his subordinates turned their heads to see a happy and familiar blonde running into the room, with an irate Jiraiya coming in after her. Sakumo also came in, but at a much calmer pace than the two before him.

The pre-teen among them grinned happily at the Hokage and chirped, "I'm back, Saru-jiji!"

The elderly leader took a drag from his ever-present pipe and smiled, "Welcome back Naru."

Meanwhile, Minato gazed at his returning mini-me, trembling, as his eyes watered. "Naru-chan!" he wailed in relief; hugging the girl with all his might. Sniffling rambunctiously, the _great_ Yellow Flash rambled, "I-I've missed you so much! It's been so depressing since you left! Kushina was so mean to me, and Sakumo-sempai picked on me! I'm so happy to see you! You're still cute as ever!"

Everyone sweatdropped at the emotional man's antics, and observed the object of his affections flail her arms wildly. Sighing, Jiraiya dragged a snotty Minato away from Naru. Struggling childishly, the captive jounin complained to his teacher; lips trembling with the urge to bawl his eyes out, "Why'd you do that, you good-for-nothing old man!"

Offended, the older shinobi bonked his student on the head and scowled, "You brat!"

Minato yelped at the sudden assault and whizzed up to his fellow blonde, squeezing her as he exclaimed, "See! They're all out to get me Naru-chan!" Baffled, the girl could only pat her father's head sympathetically.

The Hokage chortled in amusement, but cleared his throat and spoke, "I assume that your journey has produced fine results."

Separating herself from her emotional father, Naru gave a thumbs-up and replied, "I did great, 'ttebayo!"

Sarutobi smiled at the girl and said, "Well then, let's hear your report, shall we?"

The pre-teen groaned and whined, "Do I have to? Can't Ero-sennin do it?"

Jiraiya scowled at the nickname. Kushina and Minato snickered nearby, while the Hokage smiled at the 'endearing' title.

* * *

The sky had turned a pleasant shade of pink as the hours passed. Jiraiya and Naru took turns to tell their audience about their trip.

Unfortunately, the two had been delayed for a few months because the stupid hermit chose a shitty ship to travel on. Their ride had to be stopped for five repairs, and there weren't any other ships that could take the ninjas across an extensive distance.

To Naru's horror, they had to pass through the Sea Route of Silence. That area brought awful memories for her. That stupid mushroom she bought made her eat Ma's 'cooking' in order to survive. Just remembering that part of her journey made her queasy.

Once the ninjas got to Kumo, Naru had immediately scoured for Killer B, hoping to meet the ever-rapping man. It was difficult to walk around the village, since everyone seemed to be depressed by the impending war. Jiraiya attempted to persuade E for an alliance, but the Raikage was skeptical about it. The time traveler wanted to try talking to him herself, but her godfather told her that it wasn't a good idea. He didn't want to expose her identity to other villages so soon. Of course, Naru didn't like it, so she rebelled by hanging out with B. The hermit had 'killer' headaches from the duo's constant, crappy rapping.

However, the most amazing discovery was made from the girl's meeting with B. Apparently, since Kurama used to be one with all the other bijuu; their _link _caused the others to come back to the past as well. Gyuki (Hachibi) had informed his container about Naru's identity, which B agreed to keep secret. With no burdening secret clinging onto her, the blonde had a fantastic time with her fellow Jinchuriki. Certainly, the majority of Kumo thought it was an odd pair, but didn't say anything in fear of their Jinchuriki's 'supposed' wrath. Naru knew about it, but didn't reveal anything to B, since she knew that her fellow containers wouldn't want pity.

When she introduced her godfather to B, the first thing that came into the hermit's mind was the little spandex-brat back home. Once the eccentric Jinchuriki began to rap horrible rhymes, Jiraiya was horrified. Of all types of people, why- for God's sake WHY- did Naru have to attract the most unusual of weirdoes!

Spending a year in that village was grating the hermit's sanity. Naru had the brightest idea to paint the Raikage's office bright pink, and B was VERY delighted to assist her. Jiraiya had never seen E turn so purple before.

The Raikage's other son, A, was exasperated by 'Thing 1 and Thing 2' terrorizing Kumo with their random pranks. One time, B decided that the whole village should get a makeover, and had Naru make clones and help him paint everything _rainbow_. The inhabitants of the village had woken up to see their home transformed into a little girl's fantasy, and an uproar razed across Kumogakure. When B and Naru had OPENLY admitted to their crime, an angry mob stampeded towards them; but once the duo held a 'free' rapping concert, everyone just SCREAMED in agony.

Unable to take the chaos anymore, Jiraiya had whisked his apprentice away from Kumo, and began to travel towards Suna. The hermit had decided that they had out welcomed their stay, and needed to continue their journey. Of course, B bade them a tearful farewell, which Naru returned gladly. Her godfather had to DRAG her out of Kumo in order to get them moving.

* * *

She sulked childishly as they traveled, and made sure to make Jiraiya's life as miserable as possible. What else was there to torment the pervert with than his own disgusting hobbies? Whenever they stopped for lodgings, Naru followed her godfather everywhere, successfully destroying his attempts to go 'research'. This went on for about a month, since Jiraiya decided to take the _scenic _route, instead of heading straight towards Suna.

Once the duo came to Sunagakure, they were exhausted because _someone_ *cough*Jiraiya*cough* decided training on sand would help his apprentice. Though, he mainly did it for revenge. Going a MONTH without any sexy babes totally cramped his style!

It turned out that the Third Kazekage hadn't been kidnapped by Sasori, yet. The Kazekage warily let the Konoha ninjas enter his village, and Naru nearly salivated when she smelled the delicious aroma of ramen. Swiveling her head left, right, up, and down; the ramen junkie desperately searched for the source of the tantalizing scent. The Kazekage was amused by her antics, while Jiraiya smacked his face in embarrassment.

In the end, the traveling toad sages stayed for about a year. The inhabitants of the village had no blatant qualms about it, since the two weren't doing anything suspicious. Although, the Kazekage had to ban Jiraiya from the public baths because he was caught peeping... for the TENTH time. When the village's leader asked Naru if she wanted to get her sensei out of jail the first time, the blonde just guffawed uncontrollably. The Kazekage was baffled by her casual dismissal towards her teacher's confinement. Instead of getting the pervert OUT of jail, Naru had asked him to keep her teacher IN.

When the super perv finally came out of prison, he yelled and complained that his own student was 'such a disloyal brat'. The genin rolled her eyes and cleaned out her ears, which made Jiraiya steam in anger. He promptly made her training as hellish as possible, but that didn't faze the girl at all. She had WAY too much energy to even sleep anymore.

After a few months in Suna, Naru had the weirdest opportunity to run into Gaara's mother, Karura. The blonde had been running across the village, scouring for her wayward sensei, and bumped into Karura at the market. The woman was truly a kind and caring person, as the resurrected Fourth Kazekage told Gaara during the war. It was a shame that Gaara never got to meet his mother. Naru vowed to do something about it, when the time came. But then, Jiraiya ruined her mood by showing up and 'complimenting' Karura's figure. The woman was confused by the weird man's praises, and more alarmed when Naru furiously smashed a fist against the person's nose. Apologizing for the man's behavior, the blonde child dragged the limp piece of mass away.

Then, Naru had been practicing with her sage mode when she felt Sasori and the Kazekage's signatures, a little away from the village. The time traveler was a bit uncertain as to whether she should intervene with this development, but decided that Suna would be in debt with Konoha if she saved their leader. Following the two ninjas' signatures, the blonde blazed through Sasori's puppet with a **Rasengan**. The puppet master was surprised to see a young child attacking him; especially another village's shinobi. He noticed that the meddler's clone had rescued the Kazekage, and Sasori 'tsked' in annoyance. The puppet user attacked both Narus, but one of them summoned a medium-sized battle toad.

'Was the girl Jiraiya of the Sannin's apprentice?' Sasori thought warily. If that man was here, it would be difficult to fight. Then, the blonde surprised the rogue by sending a powerful gust his way. Being the shinobi he was, the red-head dodged the attack, and was fascinated by the force the sand was blown away. The girl was a powerful wind user, and would only get stronger as she grew, Sasori concluded. Depending on her actions, the blonde could become a powerful ally or a meddlesome pest.

But then, another puff of smoke appeared; and Jiraiya appeared, standing on a large battle toad. The rogue had to go on defense once more, and saw no choice but to flee. The toad sages didn't go after him, preferring to get Suna's missing Kazekage back to the village.

When that fiasco was over, Suna had become Konoha's ally, willingly. Naru and Jiraiya had to leave by that time, so the Kazekage had forwarded that message to the Hokage.

* * *

The next two-and-a-half years were spent towards Ame. Jiraiya had been anxious to hear from his old students, but didn't know if they were going to reject him. Naru ruined that feeling by walking straight up to Konan, who was making purchases at a small grocery, and claimed that she was Jiraiya's apprentice. Of course, Konan was a bit suspicious, but her eyes lit up when she found her exasperated teacher hiding in an alley.

After Naru called the hermit 'Ero-sennin', Konan's suspicions flew out the door. The woman took the two to Akatsuki's hideout, where Yahiko and Nagato were looking over some maps. When the men saw their old teacher behind Konan, they had a happy reunion. Meanwhile, Naru scrutinized Yahiko from her godfather's side. It was weird to see someone that was very similar to herself. Konohamaru wasn't too much like her, but this person took the cake. Just add the blonde hair and blue eyes, and Yahiko could be a male version of Naru.

Then, Nagato was the first to notice the girl. Oddly enough, Naru pointed out that he was an Uzumaki, which confused the red-head. Jiraiya, on the other hand, made a choked noise and began to prod the other man.

"Ero-sennin, what are you doing?" the girl inquired with furrowed brows. At that nickname, Yahiko began to guffaw hysterically, pounding the floor with his fist. The white-haired elder stopped his prodding and bonked Naru on the head, eliciting a yelp from the girl.

Konan scolded her teacher for hitting the child, and the elder scowled. The whole world was against him!

After a few months, the two sages had assisted the Ame orphans in ending Hanzou's reign. Jiraiya made sure to send news of Ame's alliance to the Hokage, as soon as possible. Danzou mustn't be the first to find out. Next, Yahiko became the country's new leader, and Akatsuki was sort of disbanded into branches for the new regime.

While the country was beginning to reform, Nagato and Naru had been hanging out more often. The time traveler had decided that her relative deserved to know what might have happened if Yahiko had died. Of course, Nagato didn't believe it at first, but he couldn't deny that the girl knew things that only his team would know. 'Pein', huh? The man could understand what his future-self had done, and why he would. The man had been traumatized enough to not care for moral principles; and kill if necessary, even though he hated it. However, hearing the time traveler talk about her opinions on his other self's actions had a point, too.

She was a lot like Yahiko. They both strived to end the needless violence, and carry on their teacher's dreams to bring peace. But Naru had accomplished much more than Nagato had ever dreamt of. He never thought that he would hear all of the five great nations coming together to fight their war. Each village had their own hate for the others, so how? How was the alliance possible? What did Naru possess that could enable her era to disregard generations of hate and suffering?

Nagato wanted to solve the enigmatic puzzle before him. He wanted to know what made his relative tick. He wanted to know how she could accomplish the impossible. He wanted to know why the girl glowed like a beacon; a sun. There were so many things Nagato wanted to discover about Naru. If he went to Konoha, would he find the answers? If he met every single person the girl had influenced, would the mystery be unraveled?

For the rest of the two years, Nagato wondered what type of world Naru saw through her eyes. He longed to explore the world she lived in, and perhaps… Ame and the rest of this continent could attain their peace.

When Jiraiya and his current apprentice had to continue their journey, Yahiko gave his old teacher the biggest bear hug possible. The white-haired man thought he heard his spine pop. Konan and Nagato chuckled, while Naru played with her newly-discovered water element. Her second chakra nature appeared when she caught a cold a few days ago, and Ero-sennin got a full blast of rain whenever she sneezed. The blonde was no Second Hokage, but it was amazing to mold the water into small objects.

As she said her own good-byes to the Ame orphans, Nagato surprisingly gave her a pat on the head. Thinking he was starting to become a better person, Naru gave him her signature, mega-watt smile.

* * *

The travelers' next destination was one of the hardest; Iwagakure. Jiraiya didn't want his goddaughter to go there, since the war seemed to be escalating rapidly. But Naru was adamant to persuade Onoki to stop, and eventually gain an alliance. Her godfather knew her well enough that even if he told her no, she'd go to Iwa anyway, so he relented to her wishes.

It was obvious that the two's welcome was… hostile, compared to the other villages. The time traveler understood that this was a delicate time, and she couldn't afford to play around like all the other times. Jiraiya was surprised that she could reign in her idiotic personality, which earned him a black eye. The elder of the two held his face in pain, while the younger huffed in annoyance.

They were 'escorted' to the Tsuchikage's office by a few jounins, and Naru was quickly becoming frustrated. Onoki seemed to be _so busy_ that he was making them wait for over an hour. Grumbling obscenities under her breath- a few swear words made some of the jounins squirm uncomfortably- and took some water from her canteen; practicing her molding skills. The others watched as the girl attempted to make a sculpture of her teacher, and snickered when it ended up displaying a Jiraiya with a fat lip. The offended hermit smacked his apprentice on the back of her head, making her lose concentration.

Whining in irritation, Naru retaliated by using her **Oiroke no Jutsu**. At first, the Iwa ninjas thought she was going to attack the place, so they prepared to intercept her technique. But~, it was all for nothing when she turned into a naked woman. The majority of the males present passed out from blood loss, while others tried to wipe their noses clean.

When Onoki finally came out of his office, the first thing he saw was bodies littering the hallway; blood splattering on the floor and walls. He thought Iwa was being attacked, but his anger deflated when a small blonde girl started poking an unconscious Jiraiya of the Sannin. The Tsuchikage noticed that the girl looked a lot like that damn Yellow Flash. Was she the man's daughter? No, she was too old for the appropriate age. Then, was she a sister? A cousin? A niece?

Suddenly, Jiraiya was woken up with a jet of water in the face. The man sputtered as he jackknifed up straight. He glared at his apprentice, who attempted to appear innocent. Then, she pointed at Onoki, and her sensei got up to regain his composure.

In the Tsuchikage's office, the Toad Sannin attempted to gain an alliance, but Onoki turned it down right on the spot. Of course, Naru got mad, since the old geezer hadn't even listened to the whole negotiation-thing, and called him a 'stupid old geezer'. Jiraiya began to sweat bullets at his goddaughter's words. Oh shit, oh shit! This was going to get ugly!

Predictably, Onoki bristled angrily, but then, Naru got in his face and shouted, "When did you forsake yourself!"

Taken aback, the Tsuchikage blinked owlishly.

The girl took a deep breath and asked more calmly, "Tell me, Onoki-jiji, when did you forsake yourself?"

"What are you going on about?" Onoki snapped at the 'naive' child.

"When did you become _this;_ a cynical old geezer that won't even think what's best for his village? Did you ever believe in the dreams of a better tomorrow? Where is your Will of Stone? Your nindo? Optimism?" Naru elaborated with a glare.

Irritated that he was being scolded by a child, the Tsuchikage retorted, "What would you know of anything, child?"

The 'child' scoffed and replied, "I know more than you realize, Onoki-jiji. But know this; above everything else, I want world peace."

The village's leader raised a brow and prodded, "Why would a young child like you want something like that?"

Naru's eyes glazed over as she recalled her older memories, "I dislike unnecessary violence. I don't like the pain and suffering everyone goes through because of that hatred. I want to build a world where everyone wouldn't be tied down by generations of old hatred, and live in an era of respite. I want to end it; 'the endless cycle of hatred'. It's Ero-sennin, Yahiko, and Minato-nii's dream to attain world peace; and now, it's mine." At first, the elder was stunned to hear a child speak with so much conviction, but when she said 'Minato-nii', Onoki went stiff as a rod.

Then, he slowly responded, observing the strange child before him, "You... you should know better than to reveal who your brother is. There are people who will exploit that information."

The girl shrugged and confidently answered, "I can take care of myself, Onoki-jiji… But, will you be one of them; to exploit that information?"

There was a short staring contest between the two, and Jiraiya was ready to scream because of the tension in the air.

Finally, Onoki scoffed, "Can't believe the Namikaze wants world peace. It's a fool's dream. One that would get him killed." Then, the elder spoke resignedly, "... No, I won't exploit your existence. But, how can you be so confident that you'll be able to obtain peace?"

Naru grinned sheepishly and replied, "I promised this to someone, 'If there's such a thing as peace, I will find it.'" The Tsuchikage raised a brow, but the girl went on happily, "I don't know how long it'll take me, but I'm not going to give up. Until the day I die, I'm not going to stop fighting for peace. That's my nindo!" She pointed her thumb towards herself; right where her heart was located and grinned widely.

The aging Tsuchikage asked incredulously, "That's your nindo, 'to never give up'?"

"Part of it," the girl answered, "I say it differently at other times. Like, 'I don't go back on my promises', 'I'm not going to run away', or 'I can't die before I become Hokage'."

"Hokage?" Onoki wondered amusedly. What a strange child she was. As much as he hated saying the word, there was a fire that burned magnificently in this girl's heart. Would he have missed it if he had continued to be stubborn and blind? Did his village have people like her, but were dismissed from his warped mind? Indeed, when had he forsaken himself?

Naru gave him a bright and genuine smile, promising with determination, "Yeah. It's my other dream. I want be Hokage and lead my village to a time of peace. I want to abolish the unfair practices of the clans, I want to put the counsel back into their places, but ultimately…I want to be the 'mother' of Konoha."

"Mother?" Onoki inquired with furrowed brows.

The girl nodded enthusiastically and said, "Yup! Saru-jiji used to tell me that being the Hokage was like being the father of everyone in it, and that everyone in the village was his children. I want to carry on that legacy."

The Tsuchikage laughed loudly at the odd proclamation. It looks like Sarutobi hadn't lost his touch just yet.

However, Onoki quickly became solemn again and told Naru, "I cannot guarantee you that Konoha and Iwa's alliance will be successful. Like you said, there are many who carry years of hatred within their hearts."

Becoming serious as well, the blonde replied, "I know. I know that it'll be hard, but I still want to try. If there's still hatred left in their hearts, I will receive it. I will carry that burden. If they still need someone to hate, let them hate me. I will carry it all."

This time, both Jiraiya and Onoki were stunned by her words. The Tsuchikage just had to ask, "Why? Why would you want to carry that burden? Their hatred has nothing to do with you."

But then, Naru just smiled softly and answered with a set of eye-smiles, "Because it's my job." On her journey, the girl had seen the same thing left and right; Iwa, Kumo, and Suna all had the same gloomy atmosphere. She wanted to change that. To create a place where they could have a respite from the cruelties of the past. It was what she promised her father, mother, godfather, Nagato, Itachi, and everyone else.

Onoki was puzzled while Jiraiya hung his head in resignation.

The hermit knew...he knew that one day, the prophesized child would have to shoulder many responsibilities, but this... Jiraiya didn't know whether to cheer or cry for his goddaughter. Like any other job in the world, there are people that love you, and there are those who don't. What Naru was saying was that she was willing to sacrifice herself to hold EVERYONE'S hatred onto her shoulders. Even if someone wanted to kill her, the girl was willing to let that person hate her, so that they don't take it out on someone else. Jiraiya _knew _about it. He was prepared to acknowledge it... but to let this already-burdened girl take on everything...

It hurt.

It hurt so much that he felt like his heart was being crushed down by lead.

Jiraiya wondered. He wondered how Minato and Kushina would react... to know what their daughter was planning to do.

He had seen the way the couple became dejected by Naru's lonely life. He had seen the sorrow and pain in their eyes, so how... how would that loving couple react...to know that their child was willing to sacrifice herself for them all?

* * *

Astonishingly, the Naru and Jiraiya had spent a _year_ in Iwa. There was a mixed reaction to their stay by the villagers; but since they were under the protection of the Tsuchikage, no one attacked them. Iwa's local hot spring became acquainted with Jiraiya's tendencies, much to Onoki and Naru's annoyance. The pervert had been banned from the hot spring five times, but that didn't stop him from going back again.

There weren't a lot of things to do around the village, but Naru's charismatic presence attracted people like bees with honey. Even though the children were wary of the Leaf ninjas, once the blonde began to create water 'bubbles' around the area, it was replaced with excitement. Naru was good with kids, Jiraiya realized. At this rate, becoming the 'mother' of Konoha wasn't a far-off dream.

Then, she had become acquainted with the Explosive Corps. Her godfather didn't know how much longer he could last, if she continued to detonate explosives all the time. Naru didn't know it, but there was such a jutsu called **Bunshin Daibakuha (Clone Great Explosion)**. But she didn't know of it; so the girl decided to create a variation of the clone technique to explode like bombs, instead of just turning into puffs of smoke. When Jiraiya found out about her new creation, he sweated bullets. The original move was certainly powerful, but what his goddaughter did blew that out of the water.

Naru made her explosions affect a wider radius, and release a temporary paralysis seal. The girl had made sure to make her explosions take down a building with ONE clone, and if necessary, cause a chain reaction with other clones. If any of the exploding clones had a specific seal applied onto them- water, fire, ice, paralysis, wind, etc-, upon exploding, the clone would release that tag's 'element'. One time, Naru decided to use Onoki as a guinea pig, and applied a neon-yellow paint tag on a clone. To the unsuspecting elder's shock, the clone clung onto him, shouting, 'BANZAI!' and promptly exploded into neon-yellow paint.

Jiraiya had laughed so much that he had cramps the next day. In the end, Naru had named her creation, **Bunshin Daibakuha (Clone Great Explosion)**, which made her godfather crack up again. Oh, the irony.

* * *

When the two had to leave, they decided to return home, instead of heading to Kiri. It didn't seem like a good idea to get involved in their unstable village, yet.

On the way home, the girl decided to go to the fallen Uzushiogakure, and pay her respects to the dead. Even though she didn't know anyone from her ancestral home, her heart ached to see the destruction of the once great clan.

Such extraordinary knowledge and history was obliterated to extinction. All those wonderful seal masters and people were all gone; survivors scattered throughout the globe in order to seek refuge.

One day, Naru promised upon her blood to rebuild the Uzumaki homeland. One day, this place would flourish with their descendents once more.

* * *

Back in the Hokage's office, the time traveler was currently nodding off from exhaustion. Talking for hours was really boring.

Meanwhile, the adults observed the child. Everyone was proud of the girl for obtaining alliances for Konoha. It was truly an amazing feat to accomplish.

...Yet, it was upsetting when they heard about her plans. Minato and Kushina knew. They, too, knew that one day; their child would carry everything onto her small shoulders. They were proud that she was taking her duty seriously, but... like with Jiraiya...

It hurt.

Their hearts weighed heavily against their chests; as if lead had replaced the soft tissues.

To know that Naru would burden herself, and essentially sacrifice herself for others' happiness. To know that their child was signing up for a painful future. Even though Minato and Kushina were her parents, it broke their hearts to know that their child was going to shoulder EVERYONE'S hatred.

Just how...how can they help Naru? She was stubborn as her mother. The girl didn't like it when people were harmed because of her.

So how? How could they make sure she wasn't alone on this harsh road?

Then, Minato walked over to his tired child and picked her up. She was kind of too old to be carried like a toddler, but it was just fine in his opinion. His little champion deserved to be pampered.

Kushina came over to grab her boyfriend's shoulder, and the little family vanished in a blur of red and yellow.

* * *

In their humble apartment, Minato and Kushina had placed Naru on their big bed, and began to remove shinobi gear from their child. Feeling the extra weight leaving her, Naru sighed in relief. Her father chuckled and put everything away, while her mother removed her forehead-protector.

The couple, too, put their own equipment away and laid down on their mattress; watching their little angel go off into dreamland. Kushina had kissed her daughter's forehead lovingly, and curled up next to the child; taking a small hand into her own larger one. Minato did the same, linking a hand with Naru's, and the parents drifted off to follow their child into dreamland.

* * *

**Aw man. I don't think I did this ch. right.**

**Don't forget to vote for Naru's new teacher!**


	29. Special: Two Hundred Clones Can Do What?

**Yay! This story has gotten 200 followers!**

**Dedicated Special**

"Hey" for normal talk

'Hey' for Naruto is talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this Boss?" a blonde girl asked her twin. Well... it was more like, her two-hundredth copy. They were all currently standing on top of the Hokage Mountain, and there were many clones bustling here and there.

'Boss' nodded her head in affirmative, "Yup! Konoha's been a bit dreary since we were gone."

Another blonde copy scratched her head hesitantly, "I guess so."

The original grinned mischievously and turned to battalion of clones stationed next to their designated catapults. "Everybody in their places!" Boss commanded deafeningly. Her copies scrambled to their positions.

"Ready!" The catapults were set to fire.

"Aim!" All launchers were locked towards the unfortunate village below.

"Fire all!" Every, single clone in the catapults was hurled into the air.

The animate projectiles screamed, "BANZAI!" in unison; and the villagers below craned their necks to stare up to the sky. Eyes bulged wide, and mouths were gaped open at what they saw.

*BOOM*

Chaos and mayhem reigned as villagers tried to run from the assault of paint and frogs from above.

* * *

The Hokage was relaxing after working on his morning paperwork when screams were heard outside his window. The bewildered leader looked out his window and became livid.

About two hundred blonde clones detonated into showers of paint and amphibians. Sarutobi groaned in dismay.

He shouted out for all to hear, "NARU!"

* * *

Said girl snickered gleefully as she watched the peons below run around like hysterical chickens.

"I wonder what's so funny, ne, _Naru-chan_?" a sinister voice asked from behind the prankster.

Naru paled and sweated bullets. She robotically turned around to see Minato and the Hokage giving her the evil eye.

Chuckling nervously, the girl stated, "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

*BOOM*

Cackling sadistically, Naru yelled back as she ran away, "You'll never catch me alive!"

* * *

Minato and the Hokage coughed a few times as the smoke cleared away. Looking at their clothes, the men noticed how 'colorful' their attire had become.

"NARU!" they bellowed in annoyance. Then, the two went off to chase after their assailant.

Several frogs were left behind, hopping and croaking innocently.

* * *

**Lol! That was fun.**

**Don't forget to go to the poll on my profile, and vote for Naru's new teacher!**

**Bye!**


	30. Setting the Stage

**AN:**

**I just found out that Itachi was like 9 years younger than Kakashi, but seeing as I've already made him appear earlier, I'll just keep going on this way.**

**The poll seems to be even still, so I'll keep it open for another chapter.**

**VOTE!**

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for Naruto talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

One jounin Hatake Kakashi was currently doing what he did every morning; warm ups and exercises before beginning morning training. It was a dull and repetitive activity, but the shinobi did what he did in order to get stronger. His father had gone out, and the boy was left to train in their backyard. However, what he didn't expect was an incoming presence speeding its way towards him.

Kakashi stiffened and his hand went to his weapon pouch. Was it an enemy? This chakra signature wasn't from anyone he knew. As soon as the foreign object was within his range, the boy leaped away and held a kunai in a defensive motion.

The incoming presence turned out to be a person, who seemed to have the same height as the jounin did. But the newcomer's gender and identity were hidden behind a blue-hooded cloak, so Kakashi didn't know who it was. Yet, there was something familiar about the person's chakra signature and aura, though, the boy couldn't figure out whom.

Then, the mysterious individual spoke amusedly, "You haven't forgotten me already, have you? You must have a poor memory, Kakashi-baka."

. . .

"N-Naru?" the masked boy wondered tentatively. That voice…Kakashi only knew one person with that attitude and welcoming tone.

Namikaze Naru.

The hooded person grinned widely and took off her hood. A slight ruffle of blonde hair and bright blue eyes welcomed the jounin. "Bingo!" the now-identified Naru confirmed cheerfully.

Kakashi released his stiff posture and put his kunai away. He sighed, "Can't you do anything more calmly? I almost thought you were an enemy."

The girl gave him a pair of eye-smiles and replied gleefully, "Nope!" popping the 'p'.

The jounin rolled his eyes and went to sit down on his porch, taking a break from his morning exercises. His companion followed him, and plopped herself next to him, gracelessly. "So, how've you been? Got any stronger?" Naru inquired curiously.

Kakashi looked indignant for a second, and scoffed, "Of course I got stronger. I wasn't going to remain as a weak genin forever, Naru."

His friend grinned and nodded approvingly, like a proud parent. It slightly irked the boy, but he didn't comment on it. Then the blonde replied confidently, "Same with me! I've got a lot stronger, too! I'm going to kick your ass, Kakashi!" His rival finished her speech with a challenging grin, which the jounin returned, before they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Naru swung her legs back and forth, somehow enjoying the quiet with her friend. Then she suddenly noticed something in the air and smiled. Her friend observed as she lifted a lone finger, like a makeshift perch. A moment later, a small ladybug landed on the offered roost, and Naru smiled as she watched it crawl up to her nail. Kakashi rolled his eyes at the girl's strange actions; and just stared up at the cloud-filled, morning sky.

It was turning out to be a nice day to relax in.

However, that peaceful moment was ruined when the two ninjas heard a pair of running feet, similar to what Naru had done before. The only things different were the noisy wail of "Naru-chan! Where are you!" and a frustrated shout of "Slow down, Minato!"

Naru sighed wearily and got up, dusting the dirt from her clothes. She walked over to the yard's entrance and squinted her eyes, calculating how fast her father was approaching the clearing. Really, even without his **Hiraishin**, Namikaze Minato sure did live up to his moniker, The Yellow Flash.

Kakashi came up to the blonde girl's side and remarked casually, "Mah, even being six years apart didn't cure his complex. It must suck for you and Kushina-san."

Naru gave him a playful punch on the arm, and patiently waited for her father to make his way over to them.

* * *

The great Yellow Flash sniffled like a child as he sported a huge bump on his head. His fiancé was currently scolding him for his reckless departure that morning, and finished off with a loud, "YA' GOT THAT, YELLOW _FLAKE_!" booming through his ears.

The flakey man cowered behind a bemused Naru, who was currently holding a conversation with Asuma and his gang. The Hatakes and Naru's family had moved over to the finally-opened Ichiraku Ramen Stand, much to the time traveler's elation, and reserved the place for a small reunion party. Her old academy friends were passing by, and the little party got even bigger.

Genma and Raido were currently arm wrestling on the countertop; while Gai was challenging a lazy-looking Kakashi, who was reading a scroll. Anko was eating take-out dangos, while she watched Kurenai attempt to drag Naru away from her ramen. Sheesh, there were already twenty bowls stacked on the ramen junkie's left! And behind the counter, Chef Teuchi was crying in absolute joy. He had never seen anyone besides Kushina eat his ramen so dedicatedly.

Later, a genin Obito had come over with a toddler Itachi, who the hyper Uchiha decided needed to get a life. Of course, seeing _her_ Konoha's little hero show up made Naru very happy. The time traveler showered the blushing Uchiha heir with warm affection, glad that she was able to see the kind man no one had noticed until it was too late.

Minato, who went to talk with Sakumo and Jiraiya, looked like he wanted to kill something. He really didn't like seeing his daughter cooing over the child. The jounin's teacher and sempai sweatdropped as they anchored the daddy with their hands on his shoulders.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kakashi just stared at the 'affectionate' display between the Uchiha heir and his rival blankly. Gai, who had looked over with the jounin earlier, had declared that he had given up his pursuit for the LOVELY FLOWER because his 'ETERNAL RIVAL' needed her more in his life than the GREEN BEAST OF KONOHA did. However, that didn't stop the spandex-kid from challenging the masked boy to weird contests, much to the silver-head's frustrations.

The genius also wasn't lost to the bowl-cut's words' meaning, and blushed a deep fuchsia color at the insinuation. He had to admit, Naru had become cute, in her own bizarre, hyper, and exasperating way.

Though, if she grew up to be anything like her Oiroke jutsu, Kakashi didn't look forward to the 'admirers' that would come with her growth.

* * *

The next day, Naru had been called to the Hokage's office, so she was now leaping across the roofs to the tower. The wind felt good against the pre-teen's face, with her hair whipping around wildly. Her eyes glittered happily whenever she was airborne, and was slightly disappointed when she had made it to the tower's entrance.

As the blonde walked up to her favorite old man's office, she greeted the workers in the building. It looked like Genma and Raido were on mission-desk duty. Naru snickered as she glanced into their room, since the two looked utterly bored at the moment.

After another trek up the stairs, the blonde's stomach grumbled in hunger, and she hurried over to the Hokage's office. Lunchtime was calling her name.

* * *

"...and because of this, you will meet your first, new teacher tomorrow. Any questions, Naru?" the Third finished calmly.

A speechless Naru held a staring contest with the Hokage for a moment, and then broke eye-contact by scratching her head in bafflement. Regaining her composure, the blonde pre-teen replied, "Yeah, I just want to say one thing... WHAT!" The last part was spoken very deafeningly, grating the Hokage's hearing.

Sarutobi blinked once and settled into his chair. "Does it displease you?"

The still-genin waved her arms haphazardly and exclaimed in confusion, "Of course it does! Why do I need more instructors? Ero-sennin's taught me a bunch of things already! I thought I was going to be promoted right after we came back!"

The elder of the two coughed into a fist and responded with the intention to placate, "Mah, Naru, I'm not saying you're incompetent for promotion, but I thought you would be delighted to expand your shinobi skills. Right now, you're more of a heavy-hitter and reconnaissance, but I believe you would flourish well with more than that. Jiraiya can't teach you those other abilities you might need, so it would be easier if you had the appropriate teachers from those fields."

Naru appeared thoughtful for a minute and asked hesitantly, "So...I'm not getting promoted?"

Sarutobi chuckled and replied amusedly, "Not just yet. I'm sorry my dear, but it would be suspicious if I suddenly gave a chuunin or jounin as much attention as I'm giving you at the moment. But rest assured, once you're able to improve in other aspects of training, you will be given a promotion."

The blonde pre-teen pouted, but relented to the explanation. Scratching her head again, Naru asked, "Who's the first instructor?"

The Hokage chuckled again and took out his pipe. He took a small drag from it and replied vaguely, "You'll see tomorrow. I'm sure the individual would like to surprise you at your first meeting. You can go now, Naru." The elder dismissed the unsatisfied genin with a tilt of a head.

Slightly miffed, the blonde disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

"Whoa! Someone else is gunna be your specialist teacher?" Uchiha Obito breathed in awe. He, Asuma's gang, Kakashi, and Naru were currently relaxing in a training ground. Everyone had been practicing to improve their hand-to-hand combat skills when their blonde friend came over with a scowling visage. Now, they were all exhausted from the Uchiha's antics.

"Yeah," a weary-looking Naru replied, staring at the odd boy in confusion. Earlier, she had taken her frustrations out on Obito, who DEMANDED the blonde to be his sparring partner. The powerhouse had unintentionally enhanced one punch with chakra, and all of her friends were stunned. Luckily, Obito had been able to dodge the incoming fist, but didn't think it would make a crater next to him. With a loud bang, the unlucky Uchiha had been thrown back, and hit his head on a training log. Anko and Kurenai were absolutely fascinated by the powerful punch, while the other boys cringed in fear. Note to self: Never let Naru use chakra-enhanced moves during a spar.

But right now, his friends were wondering what screw was loosened in his brain, since he wouldn't shut up and stay still. The genin-to-be was so hyper that he had run around the village like a squirrel on crack. It had taken a whole battalion of Naru-Clones to get Obito to a medic, and have his head examined. The hospital had ended up tranquilizing the boy because he was so jittery, and discovered that he had a mild concussion.

But what his friends couldn't understand was HOW on Earth did a mild concussion = THAT?

If they didn't know why the Uchiha was acting this way, they would've thought he had gotten into the candy again.

Back in the present, Obito was still rambling a thousand words per minute, so Naru had decided to create a new seal. It's called... the SHUT UP seal. You apply the tag on someone's mouth; activate the seal, and presto. Silence at its finest. Her guinea pig was the hyper Uchiha, who didn't like being muzzled. The boy tried to remove the darn tag, but it stuck like glue.

His friends sighed happily, glad that the motor-mouth was finally silenced.

* * *

Later that evening, Minato and Kushina were shell-shocked in their kitchen, and stared at their daughter with wide eyes.

After a minute, the adults regained their composure. The red-head was very pale and had to ask, "W-What did you say, Naru-chan?"

Naru gave her mother a sad look and repeated, "I want to stop the Uchiha Massacre, so let me meet Uchiha Fugaku."

The time traveler's father combed a trembling hand through his hair and requested quietly, "What is the Uchiha Massacre, Naru-chan?"

His mini-me sighed tiredly and explained, "I don't really know much about it, since Hokage-jiji wanted it to be kept away from the children, but I'll tell you the parts I know... I had a teammate, Sasuke, who is going to be Itachi's little brother," then the pre-teen gave her parents a solemn gaze, "who will be the only one Itachi will ever love to the fullest. Sasuke will be the only person in the world Itachi will ever sacrifice himself for; his humanity, reputation, ideals, and essentially his life."

Kushina took a seat at their small table and wondered in bewilderment, "But why?"

Naru rubbed a fatigued hand against her temple and continued, "Around the time I was eight, the Uchiha clan were planning a coup against the Third. Itachi was in ANBU then, and as the clan heir, he was in the middle of the chaos. Fugaku probably thought his son would help their clan's plans, but that wasn't true." The time traveler smiled a bitter smile and elaborated, "Itachi...when he was four, he was exposed to the bloody parts of war, and desired peace above everything else. However, he loved Konoha with all his heart, and would shed blood for his home… Even betraying his own clan. When Itachi was thirteen, he had killed every single one of his clan members, except Sasuke. Labeled as an S-rank missing-nin, Itachi had left his beloved home to join an evil organization called Akatsuki."

Minato and Kushina looked horrified, but their daughter went on sedately, "He... I didn't understand that man. I couldn't comprehend why Itachi would willingly choose to go down that path he chose; so dark, alone, and filled with hate. But then...he asked me this once, 'Why do you care so much about a traitor like Sasuke?'" Her parents jerked at the 'traitor' part and gripped their hands tightly.

"I told him that I would bring Sasuke home, and if he should ever attack the village, I would find a way to stop him without killing. Sasuke was like a brother to me; and I promised Sakura-chan that I'd bring our teammate back, even if I had to break every single bone in his body. For a weird reason, Itachi smiled at me when I said that, and imparted some of his powers into me... Later, I found out that Itachi had died in a battle with Sasuke, and that the Uchiha Massacre was more than it seemed. A masked man named Tobi came to my team, and revealed that Itachi had been in the middle of the Uchiha's coup- something stemmed from generations and generations of hatred- and chose to sacrifice himself for Konoha and Sasuke. I don't really understand it, but Danzou and the two elders had something to do with the massacre, and Hokage-jiji didn't know about it until Itachi begged him to spare Sasuke."

Kushina stood up abruptly and slammed her hands down on the table. "WHAT!"

Her fiancé stood up calmly and had her sit down again, and Naru spoke again, "Yeah. Danzou did so many things that gave Konoha headaches. But do you know what the most disgusting part is? That stupid geezer says it's for Konoha's sake."

Kushina looked like she wanted to kill something, but Minato interrupted quietly, "Yes, Danzou possesses a more... radical ideal of Konoha. You and I have a strict line we never want to cross, but Danzou, he has no such qualms. He may love this village, but it isn't the way the First, Second, and Third Hokage want it to be."

Naru scowled and complained childishly, "Don't know why Hokage-jiji didn't get rid of him already. That fucker's way past his prime."

Her father pinched her cheek and chided amusedly, "Hey, don't cuss in front of me." His mini-me rubbed the slightly red part of her cheek, and gave him a sheepish grin.

Then, Naru relaxed against her seat and said, "Anyways, Hokage-jiji couldn't fix the problem, so he had no choice but to make a cover story. Uchiha Itachi had gone insane, and in order to test his capacity, he slaughtered his own family; that's the most common theory... And years later, everyone found out that Tobi had started it all; persuading the Uchihas to plan the revolt, bargaining with Danzou, and getting Itachi into the palm of his hands."

Kushina inquired quietly, "What did he do?"

"I don't really know much; but Tobi said that Itachi, who loved Konoha and his brother with his whole being, could never willingly shed blood for trivial reasons like testing his power. Itachi could've killed the coup instigators, but not the innocents. That's why...Tobi finished the job." Naru scowled darkly and spit out venomously, "Tobi...he's the reason Sasuke lost everything and went rogue- an avenger. He's the reason why the Kyuubi Disaster happened. He's the reason why Itachi had to sacrifice everything. He's the reason why Nagato, Konan, Gaara, and everyone else were sucked into the Fourth Shinobi World War."

Minato and Kushina went pallid, and glanced at each other with worried eyes. Naru saw that exchanged, and calmed herself. "That's why, I want to see Fugaku. I don't want Tobi to mess with Konoha. Itachi shouldn't have had to sacrifice himself. Sasuke shouldn't have had to fall into the darkness. All those innocent people shouldn't have to die for that sick man's ambitions."

The time traveler's father gazed at her with a worried expression. "Are you allowed to reveal your hands at this stage?"

Naru grinned harmlessly and replied, "Don't worry, Tou-san. I'm not going to really say anything about the future. I just want Fugaku to 'see'."

Kushina and Minato were quiet for a moment, and then, they both stood up to go over to their daughter's side. Both squeezed their child's shoulders and Kushina grinned, "I can't let my daughter go see the asshole alone, can I?"

Her fiancé sweatdropped and protested, "Kushina, please don't curse right in front of our daughter. We don't need her vocabulary to deteriorate anymore."

The red-head huffed and waved a finger in her lover's face, "Oh, don't be such a prude. She's gunna hear 'em all the time anyway."

Minato rubbed a hand against his temple and sighed, "Yes, but I don't want to hear that from you. I thought parents were supposed to be role models for their children."

Kushina placed her hands on her hips and declared, "Of course I know that! That's why I'm acting this way. Naru-chan should be proud to have a tough mom like me!"

"Yeah!" her child agreed with a fist-pump.

Minato sweatdropped at the two... hellions. Poor Fugaku.

* * *

**I know it's kinda short, but I'm getting really busy now, and my brain's like fried.**

**Don't forget to vote on Naru's new teacher on my profile!**


	31. Special: Two Hundred Petals Helped Who?

**AN:**

**Yay! The number of fav's have gone up to 200! Dedicated special.**

**THANK YOU!**

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for thinking/inner voices (including Kurama)

* * *

**Play the song 'Minato Saves Kushina' by nflavour on youtube for background music. :P**

"What made you decide to do this?" Kakashi asked his rival. The two were currently hiding behind a bush, and observing Minato and Kushina on a date. The two adults were having a picnic on a beautiful, green hill; while the two pre-teens were camouflaged behind some greenery.

Naru moved over to another bush and whispered, "Minato-nii plans on proposing to Kushina-nee today. I want to help make this special for them."

Her masked companion nearly stumbled out of his hiding place in surprise. "Minato-sensei's going to propose to that gorilla-woman?"

The female next to him scowled and punched the boy on the arm. "Kushina-nee's not a gorilla."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and countered, "Well, she acts like one."

Naru did not respond to that, since she chose that moment to tug her companion over. The girl hissed, "Look! He's gunna say it! Get the petals ready!"

The Hatake heir grumbled moodily, but did as he was told.

* * *

"Kushina, I have something I want to say to you," a slightly nervous Minato said to his girlfriend. If all went well, she would become his fiancée, and eventually...his wife.

The bubbly red-head tilted her head to the side and asked, "What is it?"

The blonde man cleared his throat and began nervously, "Err... As you know, we've been dating for a long time. We've been through many things, and finally got ourselves a daughter. I'm happy that we're all together; me, you, and Naru-chan."

Kushina didn't understand why he would state the obvious, but patiently waited to hear more.

"But that's not enough! I want to be more than that!" Minato exclaimed; clasping his hands with his girlfriend's. He had this..._fire _in his eyes that his lover had seen only once before; the day he asked her to be his girlfriend.

The Uzumaki Princess's eyes widened, and she gasped. "Minato, y-you..."

Taking a deep breath, the Namikaze started to say, "Uzumaki Kushina, will you mar-" but didn't get to finish his speech, since a powerful gust of wind blew in their direction. Two hundred, scarlet and gold flower petals were scattered into the air, their way. Kushina's attention drifted towards the airborne, soft objects; spell-bounded by the vivid 'spring snow' they created. A few had grazed her cheeks now and then, and Minato was entranced by it.

He gazed at his beautiful lover in midst of those swirling petals, and smiled. Walking up to Kushina, the jounin turned the red-head's chin his way with a tender hand, and asked clearly, "Uzumaki Kushina, will you marry me?"

The woman's eyes widened at that question, and froze in her lover's embrace.

After a minute, she surprised him by tackling him to the ground. "Yes! Yes! Minato, I'll marry you! I don't care how flaky you are, I love you!"

She lifted her head to spill happy tears onto her boyfriend- no, fiancé's- face. Minato's gaze softened, and he tenderly wrapped a hand behind Kushina's head, in order to draw her in for a deep kiss.

However, the moment was ruined when a loud "YATTA!" and a thud interrupted the romantic moment. Startled, the blushing couple quickly jumped up to face the meddler.

The adults saw a tousled-looking Naru fall out from behind a bush, with a stunned Kakashi underneath her.

Sheepishly, the blonde pre-teen grinned and spoke uncertainly, "Uh... C-Congratulations?"


	32. Meetings

**AN:**

**Man, my brain's like… fried, cuz I just took a PSAT exam. And it's freakin cold at home. This ch. may be affected bcuz of these reasons. :P**

**Man, it looks like the polls are still tied, but I think I'll let it end here.**

**Also, I might be REVISING some chapters LATER because I realized that Itachi wasn't born 'til Kakashi was like 9. **

***sigh* it's so complicated with these unfinished info. For now, Itachi will be kept in until I fix the older chapters.**

**P.S.**

**I never thot there wer so many ppl that liked this story. I kinda wrote this w/ wat lil writing skills I had. **

**LOL**

**Thanks guys.**

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for Naruto talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

"So... It's been awhile ne, Mikoto?" Kushina spoke while she fidgeted in her seat. Was it just her, or was it tense in here?

Uchiha Mikoto chuckled nervously and replied softly, "Yes, I guess it has been, Kushina." The Uchiha Matriarch glanced over at her husband and the two Namikazes across the table.

Currently, the unofficial Namikaze family and the Uchiha Head's family were having dinner together. As one would expect of Uchiha Fugaku, he didn't say much, or even change his expressions. Minato respected the man, but it was hard to be friends with such an ice pole. Even Naru's cheery disposition couldn't seem to override the stoic Uchiha's presence.

And speaking of the hyper pre-teen, that chatterbox was conversing with Obito- the boy shamelessly clung onto his clan head and BEGGED to be let in- about the wonders of… pranking shrapnel. Itachi, who was sitting next to the girl, quietly ate his pudding; he couldn't comprehend the bizarre 'discussion' his relative and his idol were having.

However, one thing Minato and Fugaku had in common was that they both disliked pranks. Well, not really; they both enjoyed the workings of pranks, but not the way Obito and Naru liked it. The two men cringed when they heard the pair of pranksters say 'Hokage Mountain' and 'explosives'. They just knew there were going to be HUGE headaches in the near future.

* * *

It was quiet.

The only sounds in the room came from Mikoto, who was washing and cleaning the dishes with Kushina, and a LOUDLY snoring Obito. A minute ago, no one could really grasp the idea that the boy announced his need for some shut-eye, and promptly conked out onto dining table with a noisy thud. Itachi was put to bed earlier, if him blinking sleepily meant anything to the others.

Minato, Naru, and Fugaku were silently drinking warm tea for awhile, but the time traveler burst the bubble with a soft, "Fugaku-san, can we talk for a bit? _Alone_." Her father choked on his tea, and Kushina dropped the soap bar. They subtly regained their composure, but the Uchiha couple could pick up on the growing tension.

Mikoto pretended to not notice the change, preferring to continue the task before her, while her husband reflected for a moment. With a neutral gaze, Fugaku questioned coolly, "Is this something significant enough that we cannot discuss it here?"

Naru shrugged her shoulders and replied carelessly, "I don't care really, but I don't think you'd want anyone else to hear about your clan's..._discontent_." The girl shifted her eyes towards the slumbering Obito and her parents to make her point.

The Uchiha Head and his wife stiffened their shoulders, while Minato and Ksuhina anxiously glanced at the three. After a moment of silence, Fugaku consented, "Very well. We shall confer in my study. Come." The man stood up from his seat, and began to walk down the hall that led to another room. Naru followed after him calmly, and didn't bother to look back.

Mikoto, Minato, and Kushina glanced at each other with unidentifiable emotions; the most obvious one was a slightly troubled gaze.

* * *

Inside the study, Fugaku sat down on a sofa near a coffee table, and gestured Naru to do the same. The pre-teen moved to sit across from the Patriarch, preferring to speak with direct eye contact.

There was a short stare-down between the two before the elder inquired with subtle wariness, "What do you wish to tell me?"

Naru gave him a thoughtful gaze and asked evenly, "Fugaku-san, what do you think of the Uchiha Clan?"

Raising a brow, the man replied with a hint of confusion, "I am its proud clan head. Does that not mean anything to you, Namikaze-san?"

Instead of answering that, the blonde went on like she didn't hear him, "Do you know what I think of it? There is a...curse, if you will, that runs through your veins. From what I've seen, the Uchiha are so easily corrupted here," the girl pointed a finger to her temple, "because they are so weak here," then she moved that finger to point at her heart.

Feeling insulted, Fugaku inquired bluntly, "Are you insinuating that we are unstable?"

Ignoring the man, the time traveler reminisced with a glazed look in her eyes, "You all are not bad people. I know of the history between this village and the Uchiha. I know that there are those that feel unappreciated compared to the Senju," Fugaku curled his hands into fists, "I know that there is this never-ending hatred between them all, most which stemmed from the Senju and Uchiha ancestors. But...it shouldn't have to be this way. Loathing this village and distancing yourself from its people creates distrust between you all, and everyone can see that." Naru returned to the present, and her eyes stared at the patriarch with a firm gaze.

The man felt uncomfortable under her gaze, and felt the weight of weariness from it. Clenching his teeth, Fugaku only said, "This village...it has forgotten what we have done for them."

The blonde raised a brow and replied, "Really? And whose fault is that? Your clan? The Senju? Konoha? Truthfully speaking, everyone is at fault."

The Uchiha scowled and bitterly conveyed, "The Senju feared my clan, so they suppressed us. We were always subservient to this village's whims, but none have apologized or given us our dues. Do you blame us for resenting this place?"

Naru 'hmmed' and spoke, "Mah, even though the Senju had reason to fear the Uchiha, I admit that I disliked the distrust between the two. But you know... I think the Shodaime Hokage (First Hokage) didn't mean to do that." Fugaku gave her an incredulous stare, but she went on, "If history is correct, the First wanted to unite the clans to be equals- friends- but couldn't. Even if the two gained their peace, neither the Senju nor the Uchiha would've been satisfied. As a strong and powerful clan, there was no way that either one would like being second to the other. I guess it's like a 'survival of the fittest' thing going on; the strong do not like to be cast aside as second place."

Rubbing his temple to ward off a headache, the Uchiha Head inquired resignedly, "Why is this relevant _now_?"

Naru's expression was grim as she relayed solemnly, "From now on, the decisions you and your clan will make will be the factors to determining your fate."

Seconds ticked away as the two sat under an oppressive silence.

Finally, Fugaku asked suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

Lessening the seriousness she was displaying, the pre-teen replied, "It won't be too bad, if all goes well; but if this clan doesn't change its way, soon, they will all face destruction. I don't think either of us want that to happen, Fugaku-san." The severity of her tone came back at the end.

"Is that a threat?" the Uchiha wondered with a slightly amused tone. Just who did this child think she was? Despite her previous achievements, she was still a greenhorn; especially in politics.

Shaking her head furiously, Naru denied, "No, no, no! Really, didn't I just say I DON'T want the Uchiha Clan to go extinct?"

Sighing, Fugaku rested his back against the furniture and asked, "Then, what is it that you want?"

He observed the blonde before him as she contemplated with herself. It was unnerving to see a young child act so..._wise_, if that was the word. There were times when she acted like a normal adolescent, although, he could do without Obito's tendencies. The man also noticed that there were these odd moments when the Namikaze would suddenly become someone older than herself, like she was now. Fugaku didn't know whether this amount of seriousness was a good thing or a bad thing. Furthermore, she knew too much. The knowledge of the Senju and Uchiha ancestors weren't a secret, much, but there wasn't really a reason for shinobi nowadays to research such topics. Such animosity between this village and his clan had to be cast aside for the moment, in case of the war continuing.

Finally, Naru spoke, but she closed her eyes, seemingly in pain. "Ne, Fugaku-san, there was a time when I had someone I called my brother. I won't tell you his name, but he was a descendent of this clan," Fugaku felt uncomfortable with the girl's abrupt change in demeanor, "my brother, he was considered a genius amongst my generation, and expected to become great one day. But everyone seemed to have forgotten… above everything else, he wanted to become an avenger. At a young age, he witnessed his family murdered by his own older brother, and was never the same after that."

The Uchiha Patriarch listened to the tale with a sense of dread, but Naru went on, "My brother did nothing but eat, sleep, train, and brood as time went on. When we were twelve, the two of us got into a dangerous fight with a missing-nin, and his Sharingan finally awakened," Fugaku widened his eyes, but the blonde seemed to reminisce again, "he became so obsessed with using those eyes that it turned into a crutch. He seemed to have forgotten that he was still young and green; that there were many others that could defeat him, even with the Sharingan. I...I didn't notice it then, but my brother began to fall, and when I defeated the enemies he couldn't...our bonds began to wither."

Naru's speech was thick with regret and sorrow, and Fugaku didn't really know what to do about it. Taking a deep breath, the blonde spoke, "A psycho made his appearance as we began to fall apart, and gave my brother a cursed seal that deteriorated his mind. The madman wanted the Sharingan, and my brother appeared to have the most potential. Brother was already at the brink of no return, and that dark addition just made him snap. Soon, he abandoned our home, so my friends and I chased after him. The psycho had 'bodyguards' that got in our way, and one by one...we were all on our own. When I caught up to my brother, the curse mark had evolved, and he didn't seem so...sane anymore."

The blonde paused for a moment, turned to look out a window, and continued as she stared at the darkening sky, "We fought... We used our strongest moves against each other, and while I gave him a small scratch to the temple, he thrust a lightning-laced hand through my body. But you know...he did that more than once."

Fugaku cringed at that morbid tale; it hurts...when someone betrays you. He asked Naru, "How is this relevant to my clan's 'curse'?"

The time traveler chuckled, "I'm getting there; just sit back and relax, Fugaku-jisan." The man looked offended, but Naru ignored him. "After my brother left, I promised a sister of mine that I would bring him back, and went off to train with Ero-sennin for a few years."

"Ero-sennin?" Fugaku repeated in puzzlement. Who was this...'ero-sennin'?

Sheepishly, Naru scratched the back of her head, and turned to face him. "Ah...Ero-sennin's Jiraiya." The man sitting across from her looked amused at the 'accurate' nickname. The blonde spoke again, "When I came back from training, I set out to find my brother again, but when I did...he wasn't the same anymore. He was...so dark, so distant, so cold that I wondered who that person was. Brother wouldn't hear of going home, and continued to evade my friends and me. Later, there was news that my brother fought his older brother, and accomplished his ambition...But, someone named Tobi appeared before us and said that everything we knew about my brother and his vengeance...it was all a lie."

Fugaku furrowed his brows in confusion. Naru closed her eyes again, "It turned out that my brother's family was planning to revolt against the village, and bring about a 'new era'," the Uchiha flinched at the 'coincidental' situation, "the older brother found out about it and told our leader. The older brother loved our home and his sibling, more than his own family. He disliked bloodshed, preferring peace, but would do what he must for his precious ones. Jiji wanted to negotiate with the family and end this peacefully, but...there were three elders that didn't think so. Without letting Jiji know, those conniving geezers made the older brother assassinate his own family to end it all."

Naru clenched her hands into fists as Fugaku paled. "The older brother begged Jiji to spare my brother, and our leader found out that the elders had ordered the assassinations without his knowledge. It was too late, and my brother was traumatized. The elder of the two siblings sacrificed himself to keep our home and his beloved sibling happy...becoming a missing-nin. When the younger found out...he went mad."

Fugaku closed his eyes in somewhat, sympathetic pain, and Naru sighed. "The brother I once knew seemed to have vanished, and a dark shell was left behind... My brother came after the elders, but only managed to kill one of them."

Naru tightened her fists and spat our bitterly, "This wasn't what his brother wanted. He wanted his sibling to love our home and protect it. He wanted his beloved little brother to forget about revenge and live without their family's shame... But, the younger had fallen too far to hear reason, anymore." Looking up to Fugaku, Naru gave him a solemn and determined gaze, "I promised my brother...the next time we fought...one of us would die." The Uchiha fidgeted under that unwavering look; she was too young to think about these things, and with so much conviction.

Unexpectedly, Naru let out a cold chuckle, and gave the man another look; '_this is all stupid, isn't it?_' Out loud, the blonde asked, "Do you want to know...the names of the two brothers?"

Fugaku appeared to be baffled by her sudden change again. The blonde made sure to say everything clearly, "_Itachi_ and Sasuke."

The Uchiha Patriarch's eyes widened in shock. He said nothing as minutes passed by. Naru watched him with an unemotional gaze, which didn't change when he stood up and slammed his hands onto the table. "What trickery is this! How could my son be in your tale; he's too young!"

The blonde's expression was blank, "Nothing's really impossible in this world of ours. Minato-nii has his **Hiraishin**; there are people who can spit out fire, water, wind, etc. What makes you think that my travels are any different?"

Fugaku didn't stop trembling as he sat back down. Naru remained silent, and let the man regain his composure.

After a minute, he inquired weakly, "M-My son...he will be sacrificed? My clan will be purged?"

The time traveler answered softly, "Only if you let it happen."

Fugaku held his face in his hands. "Oh God...This isn't how I wanted it to end."

Naru closed her eyes and asked gently, "Is it that hard to forgive, to let go of hatred, for everyone's sake? Hokage-jiji doesn't hate the Uchiha Clan; he wants to help. Yet, everyone else's reluctance and stubbornness isn't doing any good. Within a few years, the animosity between this clan and the village will escalate...if no one bothers to change."

Fugaku weakly protested, "It's not that simple."

"I know...I know, but it's not that difficult. There's still time to prevent this clan's tragedy. Obito is the first step," Naru elaborated fondly.

The man raised his head from his hands and inquired, "Obito?"

Nodding happily, the blonde smiled, "Yes. He's the oddest Uchiha out there, and that's why other people like him. He doesn't have the 'clan attitude' many clans are disliked for, and he understands the meaning of hard work. To me, and perhaps a few other people, he's the white sheep of this entire family of black sheep... And as he grows stronger, I think the peace this clan needs will happen. When Itachi grows older, he will walk alongside his lovable cousin and break this family's curse. I truly believe the Uchiha deserve a long respite from this chain of loathing and vengeance."

Fugaku seemed skeptical, so Naru went on, "That's why...won't you try, Fugaku-san? To show that you care for Konoha, its people, and that you have the same determination to protect it? You don't have to be so distant within your own home. We are all equal, and there is no harm in wanting something different than what the elders believe in. I want Itachi, Sasuke, Obito, Mikoto-san, you, and all those other people to feel the love they deserve."

The man debated with himself for a minute, and shifted his eyes towards the enigmatic female. "I...I do want to try. I do not wish for my clan to suffer needlessly. My son shouldn't have to experience such hardships. It...it would be pleasant to live with the sun shining down upon us."

Naru grinned happily, "Don't worry. You have other people like me to watch your back!"

* * *

*BOOM*

"UCHIHA OBITO! NAMIKAZE NARU! COME BACK HERE!" some jounins yelled angrily.

The two pranksters in question ran around the village, cackling in glee. The boy shouted back to the jounins, "Oh come on! You gotta admit that it's impressive!"

One ninja cried out incredulously, "HOW IS BLOWING UP THE HOKAGE MOUNTAIN IMPRESSIVE!"

Naru guffawed as she leaped across some roofs, "It's art, I tell ya'! I call it the Badass-daime Hokage!"

Obito disagreed, "Hell no! I'm naming it, Naru!"

"Too late, Obito! I called it!" the blonde countered as she ran away.

* * *

"You have to admit, that is impressive, Hokage-sama," Kushina giggled from the Third's office.

Sarutobi frowned, "_You_ would. It's not your face that's next to a butt... And why of all things, did they use a BUTT!"

A visiting Fugaku rubbed a hand against his temple. What was he drinking when he left his clan in the hands of Obito and Naru?

* * *

After that fiasco, the pranksters were forced to do community service.

The Third appeared to be very _vindictive_, since he gave them jobs to clean out all of the Inuzuka's dog kennels. Naru wasn't too happy smelling like shit one day, and made sure her Sarutobi-jiji knew it. She hung around him after a day of cleaning, staying within 8 inches of space. The Hokage got annoyed and tried to dismiss her, but the pre-teen clung onto him like glue. When the 'respected' leader came home, his wife and sons plugged their noses, and backed away as far as they could. Grumbling distastefully, he went to take a shower, but when he entered the bathroom, there was a skunk skulking on the tile floor. The moment the creature saw the elder; its eyes glinted dangerously, and gave him quite the 'shower'.

The populace of Konoha wondered what happened to their leader for the next three days.

* * *

A new day arose, and Namikaze Naru was blearily walking through the streets of Konoha. Today, she was supposed to meet her new sensei, but cursed the early morning.

Like a sloth, the sleepy girl walked over to Training Ground Five, and was met with the sight of Nara Shikaku and a shogi board. Groaning loudly, the pre-teen whined, "Oh no. Not you!"

The jounin thought about asking what she was talking about, but that was too troublesome, so he said nothing.

Plopping herself on the ground, Naru sat cross-legged in front of the shogi board.

It was quiet for awhile, except the occasional clacking of board pieces. Shikaku still said nothing, and it was beginning to strain the blonde's patience. Of all people, why did the Hokage assign this lazy man as her teacher? Could he even teach without thinking this was all troublesome?

So bored of sitting and waiting, Naru stood up to walk over to a small river, and began playing with the water. She tried to juggle with three balls of chakra-molded water, but she couldn't keep them round long enough to juggle smoothly. In the end, she lied down on the ground and made a mini whirlpool with her finger. Sporadically, the girl would place a hand on the surface of the water and make miniature geysers pop up in twos or threes.

Then, she stilled when she felt this had gone long enough. "You know, you should've told me you were done. We might've started training by now." The pre-teen stood up and dusted herself off. She yawned as she walked over to Shikaku's direction, and sat in front of the board again.

This was troublesome, but the Nara spoke lazily, "Hokage-sama has assigned me to improve your tactics and strategic skills, seeing as how you prefer to go head-first into things."

Naru let out an unfeminine grunt and scowled. Figures. Looking at Shikaku, the girl drawled, "And I suppose, you're gunna make me play shogi to do that?"

"Beat me, and you will move onto your next instructor," the Nara spoke simply.

Naru banged her head onto the shogi board, making pieces fly off. "THAT'S CRAZY!"

Shikaku gave her a bored gaze and replied with a yawn, "Hokage-sama's orders."

* * *

**Ah man. I think I really butchered Fugaku and Shikaku.**

**The poll ends here.**

**I'm gunna start editing and revising for awhile, so I might not get a new ch. so soon. (more info in the AN at top of page)**

**I hate PSAT's. Even tho it's not the SAT, it's so darn time-consuming and brain busting.**

**Bleh.**


	33. Gatherings

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for Naruto talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

A big sake cup was slammed down on a counter top by a large hand. "Kah! That sure hits the spot!" the owner of the appendage exclaimed with satisfaction. He was Akimichi Chouza, a member of the infamous Ino-Shika-Cho Trio. Currently, he and his teammates were taking a break from work with a nice 'manly' outing.

Yamanaka Inoichi, who sat next to Chouza, sweatdropped. "Oi Chouza, slow down. It's not the end of the world if you go without sake for a week."

"Aw, come on, Inoichi. You know how much work we've been doing for the last couple of months. We deserve some compensation," the Akimichi wheedled with a grin. Then, the man turned to his other teammate. "Hey, Shikaku, what's with the long face? If you frown any longer, you'll get wrinkles."

The Nara sighed and swirled the beverage in his cup. "Shut up. I'm just thinking of a nuisance I have to get rid of."

His friends perked up at that last phrase. Inoichi appeared to be thinking of something, and said, "Now that I think about it, we haven't talked about your new student yet, have we?"

Chouza choked on his sake. "E-Eh? Shikaku's got an apprentice? I thought he said he wouldn't ever take one."

Shikaku sighed again and grumbled, "I wanted to refuse, but Sandaime pulled rank."

Interested in this new development, the other two leaned over with rapt attention.

Taking a sip from his liquor, the Nara put down his cup to see his friends staring at him. "What?"

"Elaborate on this..._intriguing _story, my dear friend," Inoichi replied with a grin.

Shikaku propped his head against a leaning arm and drawled, "Sandaime's making me teach Minato's sister."

Recognition dawned upon his teammates' faces at that information. "Namikaze Naru? That's the girl from the paintball war six years ago, right?" Chouza inquired in disbelief.

"Heh. What a fascinating combination the Third's formed. A hyper-active and mischievous powerhouse, paired with one of the village's most clever jounins. Not to mention, the jounin in question is _very_ lazy and thinks that life is too 'troublesome' of an effort. I wonder what his motive was," Inoichi snickered in amusement.

Shikaku grunted and downed his drink in one gulp. "Troublesome… He wants to get her to use her brain more. Even though that girl has a lot of potential, she prefers to bump heads, think later. "

Chouza laughed at the way the Nara complained. "Aw, poor Shika-chan; can't handle a little girl. Who will _ever_ save him; Yoshino?"

"Shut up. I'd like to see how you'd deal with that ball of everlasting energy, for _hours_," the shadow-user grumbled.

Inoichi raised a curious brow. "Is she that bad to teach? I thought she was supposed to be some kind of genius, like Minato."

Snorting as he toyed with his empty cup, Shikaku replied with boredom, "If I could put it in simple terms...she's a class-A moron."

His friends sweatdropped.

*FLASHBACK*

"_You know...it's been four hours, and you're not even close to defeating my general," the ever-lazy voice of Nara Shikaku drawled with a loud yawn. Dullness crept through his veins, and he stared up at the afternoon sky; watching the clouds fly past his village. What a great weather for sleeping today._

_But then, a noisy bang interrupted his reverie. "SHUT UP! I'm just not good at this, okay!" one frustrated Namikaze Naru snapped with bared teeth. She had smacked an annoyed hand down on the game board, and looked up from her play to glare at her teacher. _

"_Why can't you be dumber! Why can't you suck at this game!" she hollered while smacking the board, again, with each word._

_Shikaku picked his ear with a pinky and blinked. "I'm a Nara; Naras are supposed to be good at shogi."_

_Not placated, Naru began to roll around on the ground and tugged at her hair. "Argh! This is so annoying! This game stinks; it's so boring! And why can't you be more enthusiastic about this!"_

_Her teacher just sighed and replied, "That's because you're not using your head at all."_

_Stopping mid-roll, the blonde sat back up, and slammed down a pawn piece repeatedly, "I did too! What did you think I was doing!"_

_Rolling his eyes, Shikaku spoke wearily, "No you didn't. Look at your pawn on the left corner; there were several, __**better**__ ways to utilize it, yet you chose to simply move it with no purpose."_

_Pouting, Naru protested, "Did not! I moved that piece where I wanted it. Don't you just have to keep going forward?"_

_Sighing as he rubbed a hand against his fatigued temple, the elder replied, "No, it's more than that. Geez, use your brain, for God's sake."_

_The younger was ready to maul him when a cheery voice intervened, "You guys seem like you're having fun."_

_The two players turned to face a smiling Minato walking over to them._

_With a relieved expression, Naru greeted happily, "Minato-nii, shogi's killin' me! Save me from this madness, PLEASE!"_

"_Troublesome," Shikaku muttered, annoyed._

_Chuckling at her dramatic antics, the blonde jounin ruffled her hair fondly, and leaned down to look at the shogi board._

_As he did so, his mini-me and senpai conversed again._

"_Shikaku-ouchan, I don't get why we're even playing this stupid game; everyone knows that __**you**__ can't lose in it."_

_The man sighed. "You idiot, it's not only about the winning."_

_Furrowing her brows, Naru pointed out, "Whatchya' talking about, you said I can't move on 'til I beat you!"_

"_Like I said before, USE YOUR BRAIN. It's there for a reason, you little dunce," he repeated in slight irritation._

_The girl huffed and griped with a raised fist, "Just you wait. One day, I kick your stupid, lazy ass! Mark my words, damnit!" _

_Then, Minato reentered the fray, and commented thoughtfully, "Naru-chan, couldn't you have moved this pawn over here? It would've given you an opening for a checkmate."The jounin innocently tapped the same pawn Shikaku and Naru were talking about, a little earlier._

_The Nara smirked as he observed the pre-teen looking like she ate a sour lemon. Oblivious to her problem, Minato went on to illustrate his genius, "See? If you moved the pawn to this spot, you could've had your other pieces come in from behind." The man stood up straight once more, and turned to be met with the sight of a glaring Naru. She had scrunched up her nose in disdain as well. "Naru-chan?"_

_Abruptly, the mini-me shot up from her seat, and pointed at her father with a rude finger. The man was confused, but the girl exclaimed noisily, "You! You traitor! I'll remember this, damnit!" _

_Startled by her outburst, the elder just let out, "Hah?"_

_However, Naru ignored it and began to run away from the scene. The jounins could hear her shout, "I'll get my revenge!" as she left._

_A contemplating Shikaku and a dumdfounded Minato were alone, and the elder of the two men spoke with subtle amusement, "My condolences to you, Minato."_

"_What?" the clueless blonde asked with furrowed brows._

*END FLASHBACK*

"Well, I guess I can understand why you're so frustrated, Shikaku," Chouza told his friend with a small smile.

The Nara grunted and poured himself another glass of sake. No matter how many times he thought about it, Naru was an enigma. She randomly appeared six years ago, and was quite the budding talent. She was Konoha's Second Toad Sage at the age of FOUR, and only genin in name. Anyone who had been there six years ago would've known that she was more than just a greenhorn kunoichi. However, that potential shouldn't have given her such monstrous reserves. Her chakra was constantly 'leaking' out of her small frame, and it made him uneasy...

No. 'Monstrous' was a too much of an insult to describe it. Shikaku couldn't put his finger on it, but Naru didn't appear to have any malicious intent aimed at Konoha. There were times when the man would comment about some of the influential people in the village, but unless he mentioned Danzou or the two elders, she was relatively happy. Well...she didn't exactly emit KI when he mentioned those three, but he could make out the disdain through her eyes. And he couldn't understand why. Shikaku could understand if it was a genuine Konoha shinobi, but why would an outsider like Naru be concerned about those geezers? There was so much mystery in that small blank that it made him itch.

Furthermore, the girl had slipped, once. He remembered how she had gotten annoyed after a third game of shogi, and she cried out, "I HATE THIS, DATTEBAYO!"

_**Dattebayo**_.

It was an odd verbal tick, and Shikaku knew only one other with a very similar speech pattern; Uzumaki Kushina. The red-head would let her 'dattebane' tick show whenever she got too excited, and would be embarrassed about it afterwards. But this didn't make sense. He doubted that they knew each other long enough to pass on that amusing trait, and there were other mysteries that he noticed as he mulled over the information.

Even though Namikaze Naru had the appearance of a female Namikaze Minato, she had the eyes and attitude of Uzumaki Kushina. It was like...she was their _daughter_.

But that shouldn't be possible! Besides, if Naru was as truly as strong as she was known to be, they shouldn't have had to hide her parentage.

So why...why did that girl not make sense?

Even her ninja stats alone were insane. She was mainly a ninjutsu specialist, but was quite good in taijutsu with the Toads' guidance. Her genjutsu skills were expected to be low, since her large reserves wouldn't make things easy for her, but she was able to dispel a moderate illusion. Her original teacher, Jiraiya of the Sannin, had only said that she was powerful enough to kick his ass, but how much of that was true? Could she have actually been stronger than what the man had stated?

Namikaze Naru was one tough cookie, that's for sure. Her case was intriguing enough to get _him_, Nara Shikaku to get moving, but he hated extended mysteries. If the Hokage told him to drop it, the shadow-user would have, reluctantly, but the old monkey didn't say anything about that...yet.

There was still time to investigate.

Shikaku narrowed his eyes as he filled his sake cup with the liquor. Just who is Namikaze Naru?

* * *

Three pairs of eyes gleamed predatorily as steam rose from a boiling pot. Chef Teuchi hummed happily as he strained the noodles with a flourish, and skillfully prepared three bowls of his finest rameny-goodness.

"I won't lose," the owner of a pair of cerulean eyes growled.

"That's my line," the owner of a pair of black eyes, and the owner of dark blue eyes replied in unison.

All three people glared at each other before facing the countertop, once more.

With a clack of china, Chef Teuchi smiled as he placed three bowls of ramen on the counter top, "Here ya' go!"

Ravenously, his competitive customers vacuumed their ramen at a swift pace.

By the sidelines, Namikaze Minato slapped a hand against his face with a groan. Why did Kushina and Naru have to do this every, single time? And why was Obito even over there? The man's sensei was snickering next to him, while the Hatake family watched the proceedings over a cup of tea.

With much persuasion from his wife and Obito, Uchiha Fugaku came with his little family to have a nice, friendly dinner with the Namikazes and Hatakes. What he was watching right now disgusted him, immensely. Excess soup went flying out of the bowls, and all you could hear was the noisy slurping of noodles.

Mikoto didn't do anything except feeding their son some ramen broth, and everyone else was observing the odd eating contest with varying emotions.

*BANG*

"Another!" three voices simultaneously cried out with vigor. Lightning sparked between the three competitors, but they immediately went back to vacuuming ramen when Chef Teuchi placed a fresh bowl of warm noodles.

Nearby, Hatake Sakumo asked his calm son, "'Kashi, not joining in?"

Taking a small sip from his teacup, the boy replied, "I'm not interested in getting an upset stomach. Besides, I know I'll lose; it's _ramen_, Tou-san. You know whose territory that is."

Chuckling in amusement, Sakumo ruffled Kakashi's spiky hair. "That's true...Very true, actually."

Minato came over to sit down next to them and complained childishly, "My paycheck's not gunna make it, Senpai."

Giving him a mock-pitying look, the Hatake Head said, "My condolences to you, Minato."

"Everyone keeps saying that lately, and I don't know why," the blonde man remarked perplexedly.

All of the other spectators- minus toddler Itachi- gave him a look that said, '_Really, you don't see it at all?_'

*BANG*

"Seconds!" three voices shouted out rambunctiously.

"Coming right up!" came the enthusiastic reply.

Minato smacked his head on the counter top, and buried his head under his arms. The other males could hear him weeping, "My money..."

* * *

The next day, Naru was skipping gleefully as she went over to the training grounds. Obito wanted to train today, and the time traveler wasn't one to pass up on free training dummies.

Glancing at the clearing ahead, the blonde could see the bubbly Uchiha leaning on a training log. "Hey Obito!"

The boy's head looked up from staring at the dirt, and grinned widely when he saw his friend. "Yo, Naru-chan, how's it going?"

Returning his grin with her own, Naru began to say, "I've been g-" when someone else exclaimed their way, "Hey, Obito!"

Naru blinked and turned to face the one who interrupted her reply. Her friend did too, and when he saw the person who called his name, he went steaming red.

The source was from a jogging girl, who had short hair and Inuzuka-like stripes on her cheeks. Nohara Rin; Team Minato's medic and Obito's crush.

The time traveler glanced at her friend, and sweatdropped when she saw him pulling a slight-Hinata. Really, where did that happy-go-lucky idiot go?

"R-Rin... H-Hey," Obito stuttered as he tried to hide his blush.

The exhausted medic was oblivious to this, and was taking in deep breaths as she held up some kunai. "Y-You forgot some of your weapons, Obito," she coughed out.

"Ah... T-Thanks," the Uchiha thanked uncomfortably, and took his equipment back.

Once she was able to breathe normally again, Rin noticed that he had company. The medic's eyes widened when she recognized the blonde female. "You! You're Namikaze Naru, aren't you!"

Quirking a brow, Naru answered in slight bafflement, "Yeah, I am. What about it?"

Unexpectedly, Rin grasped the blonde's hands with her own, and squealed, "Oh my God! You're-You're like...my idol! I knew you were Minato-sensei's sister, but to meet you so soon, it's an honor!"

Naru was somewhat frazzled, but replied, "I-It's nice to meet you, too?" From the corner of her eyes, the Namikaze could see Obito in his little corner of despair. A gloomy raincloud seemed to hover over him as the genin mumbled dejectedly.

"You guys, what are you doing?" the voice of Kakashi inquired with amusement.

His teammates and rival turned his way, and Rin smiled as she said, "Kakashi, look! It's Namikaze Naru!"

"So it is. What are you doing here?" the masked boy asked his rival. It kind of sounded accusatory, which was on accident.

Naru pouted, "Moh, so mean. I only came to train with Obito, you stupid scarecrow."

"You're not with your new teacher today?" Kakashi inquired curiously.

The girl snorted, and scowled, "That lazy bum can kiss my ass."

A fist slightly bonked her noggin, and all of the others looked up to see Minato chide amusedly, "What did I say about the cursing, Naru-chan?"

Rubbing the new bump on her head, the mini-me replied dumbly, "Uh...to...not... do it?"

Obito snickered from beside his sensei, and Naru glared at him.

Her father sighed resignedly, and shook his head in dismay. "Kushina's been a bad influence on you."

"Eh? Whatchya' talkin' about? She's my favorite role model of all times, Nii-san!" the girl articulated with an extravagant wave of her hands.

Minato sighed again, and rolled his eyes up toward the sky in prayer. It couldn't get any worse than this, can it?

* * *

"Ro-ran? Eh? That sounds familiar," Naru spoke in deep thought. Currently, she and Kakashi were walking over to the Hatake Estate, since apparently; their families were having a friendly dinner night, again. The masked jounin was retelling his missions and experiences while the time traveler had been out training, and had gotten to his mission in Roran.

"Maybe you've been there with Jiraiya-sama?" Kakashi suggested as they walked down the streets.

Naru crossed her arms together and made a fierce thinking face, mumbling, "Roran, Roran, Roran... Where did I hear that name?" Then, recognition flashed from her eyes as she remembered. "Oh! Roran! That was that mission I went on years ago!" the time traveler blurted out loudly. Next, she gasped as she slapped a hand to her mouth. 'Oh shit. No one's supposed hear that,' the blonde thought with dread.

"Really?" Kakashi asked curiously.

Sheepishly, Naru scratched the back of her head and replied lamely, "Uh...it's kinda classified, Kakashi. Sorry."

The boy 'hmmed' and nodded in understanding. Some missions were not meant to be spoken without authorization.

Yet, the jounin stopped walking when he realized something. "Naru, why would Sandaime-sama let you go on such a classified mission? No matter how strong you were years ago, a genin shouldn't be taking high rank assignments."

'Stupid genius,' the blonde grumbled inwardly. Out loud, she lied calmly, "It wasn't a difficult mission, but I guess it was important enough to be considered a high level assignment."

Kakashi looked like he didn't believe a single word, but said nothing. Shinobi life was filled with secrets; this wasn't any different. As long as Konoha wasn't in danger, some secrets were allowed to be kept mum.

* * *

"So...why is everyone else here?" Kakashi asked his apologetic-appearing father. The jounin and his rival had returned to be met with the sight of Nara Shikaku, his friends, Obito and the Uchiha Head's family, Rin, Asuma and his gang, the Sandaime's family, and the Legendary Sannin in his home.

Right off the bat, Naru had groaned when she saw Shikaku standing in the living room, "Why the fuck are you here!" Then everything else went haywire as she began to complain about his 'lazy ass' and 'plain lifestyle'. The other youngsters were curious about her negative affections for one of the village's most heralded tacticians, and then Naru began to exaggerate her 'gloomy tales'.

Sakumo was slightly confused as well when he responded to his son. "I don't...really know. Kushina came busting in with Mikoto in arms, and then the Uchiha family followed after. Minato invited his other student, since he felt like this would be a great bonding experience." Then, the man looked disgruntled. "Thirty minutes later, Jiraiya invited himself in, and dragged his teammates here. I don't know where she hid it, but Tsunade brought sake to keep herself busy. Next, Shikaku and his team came over to look for his wayward student," Sakumo snorted in amusement at that, "and Sandaime-sama invited himself over when Asuma found out- How did the boy know? I don't have an answer to that either."

Kakashi sighed wearily. What a big headache. And did Obito get in the candy again? Kakashi swore that boy was bouncing off the walls just now.

* * *

Naru fidgeted uncomfortably as she stood next to her godfather.

Why?

Because Orochimaru was right next to him!

The Snake Summoner turned to face the blonde, and she really didn't like that intrigued gaze on her person. "Namikaze Naru, we finally get to meet properly. Are you well?" Orochimaru greeted calmly.

Naru tried her best not to seem jumpy, but it was kind of hard when she had only known the man to be a mad scientist. "E-Eh? It's nice to meet you too, Orochimaru-s-san. I've been good," she replied a bit shakily. She scratched her cheek in a sheepish manner.

Thankfully, a beautiful and well-endowed angel came to save the day. "Hey Orochimaru, lighten up, would you? Can't you see that you're scaring the crap out of the girl?" Senju Tsunade remarked with slight amusement.

Naru turned to smile at her savior, but only to get the woman angry. "Tsunade-Baachan! I thought you'd ditch the village by now!"

A vein throbbed threateningly on the older kunoichi's temple. "You brat! How dare you call me a granny!" she roared as she raised a clenched fist in the air.

Naru's eyes bulged wide, and she quickly scampered away from the volatile gorilla. "But you are a granny, Tsunade-Baachan! Don't think that I don't know about that genjutsu of yours, you old hag!"

"Naru, you brat!" the Slug Princess cried out furiously. She was about to hit the pre-teen, but the kid had replaced herself with Jiraiya at the last second.

*BAM*

"Tsunade! Look what you did to my wall!" Sakumo exclaimed from the other side of the room.

"Oh, don't be a big baby, Sakumo, it's not the end of the world if I bust a wall," the woman snapped back irately.

A bruised Jiraiya crawled out from the hole in the wall, weakly inquiring, "W-What was t-that for, T-Tsunade-hime?"

The Senju huffed and replied heartlessly, "Your apprentice used the Kawarimi on you. You must be very proud of her ne, _Ero-Sennin_?"

"Ugh...Naru you traitor," Jiraiya groaned, and conked out on the floor.

* * *

With Anko and her friends, they were all slack jawed at the speed Chouza was gobbling up the food table. Then, the Akimichi did the unforgivable when he ate the dango right in front of Anko's eyes. The dango lover saw red, but couldn't exact revenge since Kurenai and Asuma were holding her back. She tried kicking and screaming, but none of her friends would let her go.

Inoichi sighed at the scene. "Oi, Chouza, everyone else needs to eat too."

Gulping down a piece of chicken, his ravenous teammate replied apologetically, "Ah, sorry. I just couldn't help it. It all looks so good!" He slightly drooled at the sight of the oden pot.

Shikaku sighed as well. "Troublesome..."

*Poof*

The people by the table turned to see Naru hiding behind it.

"What are you doing, Naru?" Raido asked with a sweatdrop.

The blond shushed him with her index finger to her lips, hissing, "Shut up! Tsunade-Baachan's gunna kill me if you give me away."

The others made choking noises in surprise. Gai frowned slightly, "How unyouthful of you, Naru-chan! Tsunade-sama deserves to be spoken with respect; it is a grand and beautiful honor to be in her presence! Your flames of youth are dimming, my dear friend!"

Naru didn't seem to think so, and responded in disbelief, "Oi, oi! Baa-chan may be a great medic, but everyone knows that she's a compulsive gambler and alcoholic. She's also a rampaging gorilla with her insane strength." Then, the blonde chortled because of a distant memory, "In the gambling circle, she's known as the Legendary Sucker cuz she ALWAYS loses her money," and 'tsked' when she remembered something unpleasant, "But you gotta be careful about one thing; if she wins a gamble, something bad's gunna happen. It's a bad omen."

When Naru glanced at her friends, she noticed that they were all frozen stiff and pale in fear.

Oh shit.

The Gorilla Granny was right behind her, wasn't she?

The blonde robotically turned to face the source of the killing intent, and sweated bullets when Tsunade had her fist raised...again. "Y-Yo, Baa- no- Tsunade-_sama_, whatchya' doin'?"

Everyone else backed away from the area, and hid behind some furniture. 'Traitors,' Naru grumbled in her head.

The Slug Princess smiled menacingly as she replied with barely-restrained anger, "You have a lot of guts to insult me so boldly, Namikaze." Then the woman cracked her knuckles as she glared down at the offensive brat, "Prepare yourself, you disrespectful brat!" Tsunade went in for the kill, but Naru had used the Kawarimi again.

*Crunch*

"A-Again?" a heavily bruised Jiraiya whimpered faintly. Then he flew out to the yard outside, and crashed into the trees beyond.

An observing Minato sighed as he glanced to his side. "Naru-chan, please stop using Jiraiya-sensei as your shield. Konoha does still need him alive, after all. Also, please don't rile Tsunade-sama up, either."

Mustering up as much innocence as possible, Naru blinked up at her father. "Eh? What do you mean? What did I do, Tou-san?"

Kushina, who was standing next to her fiancé, just guffawed at the whole entire thing.

* * *

Near the kitchen, Rin sweatdropped at the rowdy display. "I-Is this normal, Kakashi?"

"Hmm? Yeah, it is. Why?" the jounin answered dully.

"Nothing... It just seems...chaotic out there," his teammate replied hesitantly.

Shrugging his shoulders, the silver-head responded with a set of eye-smiles, "Mah, you'll get used to it, after awhile."

* * *

"I refuse," Naru said dully. She was forced to go see her sensei the next day; and was now sitting in the middle of the Nara compound's garden, with her teacher and some snacks.

Shikaku rubbed a hand against his temple and persisted, "You won't get any better if you don't practice."

"Still, I don't want to," the stubborn blonde rejected adamantly. "Besides, if you want to play shogi, why not play with Minato-nii, Kakashi, or Sakumo-jisan? I'm sure they can relieve some of your boredom for you," she pointed out.

"As much as it would, I am supposed to be _your_ teacher. Seeing as how you don't seem to be the studious type, playing shogi would be the better option," Shikaku countered lazily. Then he added, "But I've taken into consideration that you're the type that does best by actually doing the work. How many clones can you make, Naru?"

"A lot," came the vague reply.

"Troublesome," the Nara mumbled under his breath, and rephrased his words, "I mean, in actual quantities."

"Oh...I guess over three-hundred, I dunno; I've lost count," Naru replied nonchalantly.

Shikaku froze at that answer. He knew that he should be appalled by that outrageous number, and the blasé tone the girl spoke with, but he remembered that his student was stronger than she let on. What a drag. Out loud, he said, "That'll work for what I've planned. Make as many clones as there are shogi pieces in a game. Half of them will be blue, and the other half will be red... You understand where I'm going with this, right?"

Naru's eyes lit up at the prospect of a new method of training, so she nodded vigorously. Anything with her involving her clones had to be definitely interesting, right?

* * *

**I fixed up Itachi's timeline, and Obito's status as genin. I might be changing more things as the manga progresses. :p**

**The credit for the clone-shogi thing is to the 'Dreaming of Sunshine' fanfic. I don't exactly remember what ch. it was from, since I haven't read it in a while.**


	34. Team ?

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for Naruto talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

Cerulean, wide eyes gleamed mischievously as its accompanying lips curled up to reveal a maniacal grin. "Pawn #1, ready the ammo!" a stern command came from a feminine lilt.

"Set to go, Boss!" came the equally enthusiastic reply.

An appreciative hum answered, and the commanding voice spoke again with a faint purr. "Good. Now, aim and let it rip, Pawn #1!" A very creepy cackle filled the air as there was a clink of machinery. "Fire in the hole, bitches!"

*BOOM*

Screams of terror and agony rang throughout the area; surprisingly all vocalized by the same voice, but in more quantities. Debris and chunks of rocks were propelled in all different directions, and a wild gust of dust-contaminated wind covered everything.

The owner of the cerulean eyes exclaimed in a pompous manner, "That's right, you low lives, fear me! Namikaze Naru is the **Queen** damn it!" She laughed like a lunatic under the influence, and several copies of her joined in as well.

One of the remaining 'enemy' clones growled and yelled angrily, "We're YOU, you idiot! If you're calling us low lives, you're calling yourself one, dumb ass!"

Its comrade nodded frantically and pitched in, "Yeah, yeah! Boss is a baka!"

A vein throbbed dangerously on the original's temple. "What'd you say, you ungrateful fakes!"

"Are you deaf, stupid! And on a side note, we want workers' rights, damn it!" the first opposing clone retorted.

"I told you before, didn't I! You're MY clones! You're supposed to do what I tell you!" the original shouted back.

And things just escalated into a fierce and loud argument; Clones vs. Original.

From the sidelines, Nara Shikaku face-palmed with a defeated groan. "When I said 'battle' I didn't mean it literally, Naru," he wearily told his off-the-wall student. Thank God he decided to use the training grounds, instead of the Nara Compound!

"Aw, you know this is more productive, Shikaku-ochan!" one clone of Naru the Bomber- self-proclaimed, but truthfully accurate- replied giddily.

Shikaku snorted and rolled his eyes. "Did you forget that Sandaime-sama forbade you from using explosives? He's still pissed from the 'butt' joke you pulled."

Naru frowned and cursed, "Aw shit. He said he'd ban ramen for as many days as how many explosives I use."

Her lazy teacher leaned against a battered tree, yawning as he told her, "By the way, we're supposed to go to his office in a few minutes."

Alarmed by this piece of information, all of the clones dispelled in one large puff of smoke, and the real, blonde pre-teen exclaimed with hands slapping her cheeks, "What! Why didn't you say so earlier, you dumb ass!"

Shikaku didn't reply, in favor of heading towards the village streets.

* * *

A loud bang went off when the door to the Hokage's office roughly opened to hit the wall.

"Namikaze Naru has arrived!" an energetic blonde pre-teen announced gleefully. She swept an arm out like a pompous noble, her long hair swaying with a bright flourish, and exclaimed dramatically, "Pitiful plebeians, today I, the Great Naru, shall heed to all of your requests with a _gracious_ heart, so I command you: Speak!"

There was complete silence in response as the other occupants in the room- the Hokage and Team Minato- sweatdropped at the girl's flashy entrance. Another moment passed, and the 'plebians' watched as a lazy Nara Shikaku sauntered in after his student, muffling a yawn behind a hand. "Troublesome..."

When the door was shut closed a few seconds later, the Sandaime spoke amusedly, "Well, as all of you- I hope- know, the Chuunin Exams will soon be starting up again." Excited eyes lit up around the room, and Obito was practically fidgeting from where he stood. Naru's pupils held an unholy fire that promised the Hokage immense 'harm' if she was left out on the fun.

Coughing into a fist, Sarutobi continued, "Despite the conflicts in Kiri and some of the other nations, the exams will become a morale booster between allied villages. However, as Kakashi has been promoted to jounin, Team Minato is left with two genins. You all understand that you need three genins to enter the exams, correct?" Everyone else in the room- minus Shikaku- nodded in confirmation. The Hokage grinned and told the anxious genins, "Naru has not been placed on a team, in favor of apprenticeship; therefore, it would be beneficial for all of you if she is to be your third teammate for the exams."

A loud whoop was heard, and Obito was high-fiving an equally ecstatic Naru. But then, the Hokage cut in sharply, "ONLY IF Shikaku agrees to the arrangements. And if he does, be ready to travel to Suna in a few weeks."

All eyes turned to the slouching Nara by the back wall; and one pair in particular was glaring at him, just DARING him to refuse.

Not at all perturbed by the attention he was getting, Shikaku glanced at his student and said, "Troublesome... You're going to do it anyways, and it'd be too much of a hassle if I say no."

"YATTA!" two loud cheers hollered joyously. Obito and Naru pranced around, chanting 'exams, exams' over and over, until Kakashi told them to shut up. In retaliation, the other two tackled the masked boy and made him prance around with them. Rin looked slightly worried for her peers, while the adults were amused by the whole scene.

After that, the blonde girl gave her temporary teacher a big bear hug, which the man thought had cracked his spine, and then dragged her friends out for a ramen party. However, her teammates protested that they had enough ramen for one week, and that they should have BBQ or dango instead. Reluctantly, the ramen junkie agreed, exclaiming unashamedly, "It's on the Old Man's tab!" which made the Hokage groan in misery. Lord knows how much the girl ALONE could stomach; adding the whole team together would put a dent in his coffers. The elder just hoped his son and his friends weren't invited; perhaps Kushina and the Uchiha family as well.

When the youngsters left, the Nara turned to Minato and bluntly told his junior, "She's your problem now. Don't give her back."

"Eh?" the Namikaze blinked.

* * *

*_Jiiiii~*_

_*Jiiiii~*_

A boy with a familiar, scar across his nose and spiky hair fidgeted nervously under scrutiny. Looking up to see Namikaze Naru examining him with scrunched eyebrows, he stuttered, "A-Ano… could you stop staring at me?" He had just come out to eat some ramen, and didn't expect to suddenly be faced with a weird ninja examining him all over.

*Smack*

"Ow! What was that for, Kakashi!" the blonde girl yelped in annoyance, rubbing the back of her head with a hand. All she did was compare the newcomer with Iruka-sensei. Didn't know he'd be more timid than his future-self was, 'ttebayo!

The Hatake genius replied dully, "You're scaring the kid."

"Am not!" Naru snapped back.

Obito, who stood by his friend's side, snickered and added in, "Yeah. Bet he's terrified out by your ugly mug, Naru."

"Obito!" Rin yelled out in annoyance She pinched his arm, hard, and glared in warning.

"Ow! It was just a joke, Rin!" the boy defended with a yelp, rubbing his stinging skin.

Kakashi scoffed and rolled his eyes at his immature teammates.

Glancing back at the boy she was scrutinizing earlier, Naru asked with false-curiosity, "Hey, what's your name?"

Shifting his weight onto his right foot, the Iruka-sensei-look-alike replied timidly, "Umino Iruka."

Happiness flashed through the time traveler's eyes, and she gave the young Iruka a genuinely, bright smile. "It's nice to meet ya', Iruka!" 'This time, I'll be the one to protect you, big bro,' she vowed silently.

"Er... It's n-nice to meet you too…" Iruka began uncertainly, not knowing who this person was.

Blinking owlishly, Naru was quiet for a moment, and then let out sheepishly, "Oh! Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself; I'm Namikaze Naru, Konoha's Number One Unpredictable Ninja!" The pre-teen had the urge to do an introductory dance like her godfather did, but she thought it'd scare little Iruka away, so she decided against it. The blonde was slightly disappointed.

"And the Number One Moron of All Time," Kakashi chimed in with an eye-smile.

Giving him the stink-eye, Naru turned back to Iruka and dragged him towards the Akimichi's BBQ restaurant. "Hey Iruka, this amazing senpai's gunna give you some advices on life, okay? First one: ignore people with silver-hair wearing masks."

"Why?" the sort-of confused boy asked as he was kind of-unwillingly taken to the eatery.

"Cuz they'll always be jerks, that's what," the girl replied as she grumbled about 'revenge' and 'stupid genii'. Then she started cackling maliciously under her breath, scaring the crap out of the bystanders on the street.

The boy she was tugging sweatdropped at her behavior. What a weird girl she was, Iruka thought. He wondered if she was really strong. His mom always did say that the stronger a ninja got, the kookier they'd get; she'd always use Jiraiya of the Sannin as an example. And wasn't Namikaze Naru the student of that same Jiraiya?

* * *

As the day ended, night reigned over the world. At this time, Naru could be found, sitting on top of her apartment complex's roof, and to others, it looked like she was completely in her own little world. The blonde stared up at the starry sky, and contemplated what she should do from this point on. Then, deciding to converse with an old friend, the time traveler inquired inwardly, 'Kurama?'

A deep baritone grumbled back after a moment, 'What is it, Naruto?'

'You know you can't call me that anymore; no matter how much I want to be that person,' Naru chided quietly.

'Hmph. You seem to have forgotten, you bumbling prime ape, that _you _are not born yet. There's no harm in calling you by your given name,' Kurama grunted in her mind.

'Yeah, yeah. But it'll help,' the ex-host remarked casually, but then she told her companion solemnly, '...Time's running low, partner.'

'About three years left, huh? What are you going to do, Naruto? If nothing changes, your parents **will** die, and history will repeat itself,' the great bijuu inquired curiously. He could never understand what went through his ex-host's head, even if he practically lived in it her whole life. She always did something that was either insanely stupid, or insanely brilliant in his opinion.

'Isn't that obvious, Kurama? _Naruto _need his mom and dad; I...I'm happy with what I've received in this time. If I'm going to change anything, then keeping that family together is my top priority,' Naru replied with a slight chuckle.

'Hmm... Do you have a plan?' her partner asked, but abruptly, his tone reached a fierce growl, 'You're not thinking about using _that_ jutsu, in place of the Yondaime, are you?'

'If...I said I was, what would you do about it?' the blonde suggested thoughtfully.

'YOU FOOL! ARE YOU NOT PLANNING ON KEEPING YOUR PROMISES! HAVE YOU GONE SENILE! THE MOMENT I'M FREED FROM THAT TRASH'S ILLUSION, I'LL KICK YOUR ASS, YOU IDIOTIC HUMAN!' Kurama raged from inside Naru's head. How dare that moron even speak such blasphemy!

Wincing from the cacophony of noise, the time traveler complained childishly, 'Ow! I'm sorry! Stop yelling, Kurama! It was only an idea, you big fur ball! I never said I was going to ACTUALLY do it!'

'Hmph! You better not, Naruto,' the bijuu huffed angrily.

Chuckling at the fox's behavior, Naru said randomly, 'I'm glad that you are my friend, Kurama. It'd suck if I was completely alone here.'

'...Whatever,' came the vague response.

Smiling happily, the time traveler asked her partner, 'Ne Kurama, do you think there's another way to save them? I know that Tobi is crazily powerful. I'm still not at my best, yet. And I don't have the bijuu-mode anymore. If Tobi survives October 10th, what are we going to do about you? We both know that you _need _to be with Naruto.'

'Go research it, you stupid girl. Or better yet, ask that perverted godfather of yours,' Kurama replied with an annoyed growl.

Rolling her eyes, Naru cut the connection between her and the bijuu. She knew he was too stubborn to show that he cared; that big softy.

Glancing up at the twinkling sky, the time traveler wondered quietly, "How am I supposed to do this, guys?"

* * *

The next day, Team Minato, comprising of Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, and Namikaze Naru, sat around Namikaze Minato in Training Ground Seven. Today was the first Temporary-Team Minato meeting, and all of the genin were too excited to NOT be late today.

It amused Naru to no end when her father and Rin practically had heart attacks, as soon as Obito arrived. Well...she was shocked too, but having Kakashi-sensei as a teacher made her not care as much. That stupid Cyclops would arrive early on random days...okay, maybe the days when Naru decided to DITCH the usual three-hour-wait; and gave his blonde student torturous training as punishment for not being on time. That man was psychic, 'ttebayo! How the hell did he KNOW that she was planning on ditching!

Anyways, after the Early-Obito episode, Minato told the genins that they would do the bell test, as a team-bonding exercise, and Naru smiled nostalgically. Her own test had been quite memorable, except when Kakashi-sensei decided to use the _finger _jutsu on her… That reminded the time traveler; she still had to get back at her sensei, soon. God knows that Kakashi-sensei was WAY stronger than little Kakashi, and it would practically be impossible to catch the silver-head off guard when he'd get older. 'Mua-hahaha! I'll get revenge VERY soon, Kakashi!' Naru cackled inwardly.

* * *

At the Hatake estate, said boy sneezed violently as he read some scrolls in the living room.

"Did you catch a cold, Kakashi?" Sakumo inquired from the kitchen.

Checking his head for a fever, the masked child replied, "No, 'Tou-san. I think it's just from the dust." But the boy furrowed his brows together. Was someone talking about him?

* * *

With Team Minato, the jounin hid carefully as he observed his students- including Naru- huddle and organize strategies from behind several bushes. He smiled when the three had hit it off quite nicely on the first try, though, anyone would probably expect that to happen with Obito and Naru. Thank God he told them not to bring pranking materials for the test; he'd never live it down if Kushina gave them any pointers.

Besides, Minato was excited at the prospect of seeing how much his little heroine had grown these past few years. Despite the alliances between Iwa, Kumo, and Suna; the war wasn't completely over yet. There were still skirmishes between other small nations, and Konoha had to be prepared for the worst. Teams and soloists were sent here and there, but the Sandaime relied heavily on the Yellow Flash and other big names to settle the disputes. Minato barely had time to rest, and was certainly looking forward to see how much Naru had improved.

"**Katon: Gokyaku no Jutsu (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique)**!" Obito's shout rang from a little away.

Quickly, Minato jumped away from the area he was in, and looked over to see a great, flaming ball of destruction fly past the trees. He sweatdropped when it crashed into a boulder. 'Obito, why do you have to keep using that jutu?' the jounin thought wearily. The man had enough fireballs thrown at him for TWO lifetimes!

Then an exclamation of "**Rasengan**!" was heard, and the blonde man dodged as Naru ran towards the jounin with his original technique. Snatching her extended wrist, Minato flung her towards the cluster of trees, not surprised when she went up in smoke.

When he heard the sounds of flying metal, the jounin substituted with a log, and hid himself in the midst of higher branches.

*Thwack, thwack, thwack*

The man sweatdropped again when he saw that his log was stabbed by a whole battalion of kunai and shuriken. Did the genins not know the meaning of overkill?

* * *

"Kuso! He's too slippery!" Obito cursed in irritation. After several attempts to get the bells, he and his teammates had regrouped about a mile away, disappointed by their failure. Naru had set up a parameter and made traps in case of her father finding them. The three sat at a small clearing hidden by some heavy greenery, and tried to regain their lost energy. They all sported dirt and minor tears on their clothing, and were starting to become hungry after all that fighting.

Rin, attempting to be optimistic, told her Uchiha comrade, "You know how good he is, Obito. Even with the three of us, it won't be easy to take the bells. We just have to do the best we can."

Naru, who sat cross-legged with a resolute thinking face, wondered, "What's his weakness though? I'm sure we'd get an opening if we knew his weakness."

Her other teammates, too, got in a similar position and butted their heads against each other. Weren't three heads better than one?

"What about that Oiroke thing?" Obito asked.

Shaking her head negatively, the blonde girl replied, "Doesn't work on him; I tried."

"Even a Kushina-san version?" the boy inquired skeptically.

"Oh, I've never tried that. Besides...wouldn't it feel awkward cuz it's _Minato-nii _and _Kushina-nee_."

"...That's true."

Feeling excluded, Rin inquired curiously, "What are you talking about?"

The male pre-teen suddenly became nervous and shifted away from his crush. "I-It's a prank j-jutsu Naru created," he answered vaguely. Rin would KILL him if she found out about that 'technique'! She would NEVER forgive him if she found out that he used it either!

"Okay?" the confused girl replied uncertainly. Why was Obito acting so weird? It was only a question.

Naru, thank God, understood her sidekick's dilemma and changed the subject. "Do you guys know anything that Minato-nii's afraid of, or anything that makes him lose rational thought?"

Rin turned and scratched her cheek with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Not...really. The only time he's anywhere near that state, it's either related to Kushina-san, Konoha, Jiraiya-sama, or you."

"Me?" the blonde questioned skeptically. She could understand familial concern and protectiveness, but beyond that, her father had no reason to lose his cool over her.

Unexpectedly, Obito pitched in with disbelief in his tone and wide eyes, "You _don't_ know?" How could their sensei's own sister NOT know of his overprotective-daddy tendencies?

"Know what?" Naru demanded in annoyance. Her sidekick's meaningful look gave her the sudden urge to punch him in the nose.

Sharing a glance with Rin, the Uchiha explained, "Minato-sensei goes _crazy_ when you and Kakashi are together. Or any other boy, besides me and Itachi. I'm sure that's why Gai decided to step down."

Furrowing her brows, the blonde asked, "What?"

But no one got to answer her question, since Minato decided to pop in at that moment. "You guys, shouldn't you be trying to get the bells from me? I didn't say it was time for a break yet," the jounin chided amusedly. Really, just what were the three doing that made them just stay here the whole time?

"God damnit!" Naru cursed loudly as she attempted to scamper away into the trees.

"H-Hey, wait for me!" Obito hollered frantically as he followed his teammate.

"Don't leave me by myself!" a nervous Rin called out to her fleeing companions, as she also copied her teammates.

Minato chuckled at the genins' behavior, and leisurely went after the escaping trio.

* * *

"**Katon: Gokyaku no Jutsu (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique)**!"

"**Fuuton: Daitopa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)**!"

A gigantic wind-enhanced fireball blasted its flaming self towards Minato, but the man quickly moved away from the destructive technique. However, a mob of Naru-Clones appeared, and tried to gang up on him. Minato dispelled as many as he could, but then, Rin showed up and tied him in wire. But the jounin managed to replace himself with a log and escaped to the trees.

"That was dangerous," the jounin mumbled to himself as he sighed. It looked like the kids were getting a bit crafty.

From below, Minato heard Naru shout out in frustration, "Fuck this! Let me go bombing, damnit!" The jounin immediately paled and began to sweat bullets. If his daughter was anything like Kushina, explosives were a BIG no no.

Then Minato heard Rin squawk in protest, "No! Naru, we promised to not blow up the training ground!"

And Obito pitched in a little nervously, "T-That's right! Besides, you know that _you're _not allowed to have exploding tags on you. Hokage-sama's still mad at you for blowing up a butt onto the Mountain."

"Darn. I forgot about that. What about you, Obito? You were my partner in crime," Naru inquired curiously.

"I don't have any," the Uchiha answered dejectedly.

*RRRIIINNNGGG*

"Aw shit," Naru cussed moodily.

With a swish of leaves, Minato came down from his perch, making Rin and Obito 'eep!' in fright, and flicked his daughter on the nose. "What have I told you about the cursing?"

Rubbing her stinging nose, the mini-me responded in a nasally, cheery tone, "Swear like a sailor and kick ass if anyone tells me otherwise!"

Furrowing his brows, the elder Namikaze spoke, slightly confused, "What? I didn't tell you that." If anything, that was something Kushina or Jiraiya might've said instead.

Appearing innocent, Naru elaborated with a grin, "Yes you did. You told me like a week ago, Minato-nii." This time, Obito and Rin, too, were baffled by this answer. Their teacher was out of the village a week ago.

The baffled jounin began to refute, "But I was on a mission a week-" except, the rest of the sentence being forgotten in favor of displaying a deadpanned expression. He suddenly realized who might have impersonated him: Kushina, his mischievous fiancée, or Jiraiya, his rambunctious and juvenile teacher. Plus, by the look of things, Naru _knew _that he had been gone, but pretended that he had actually given her permission to curse so brashly. Thus, Minato gave Naru a stern look that they would talk about it later, and motioned their team to meet at the Memorial Stone.

As everyone plopped themselves on the dirt- in Obito's case, flopping onto his back- the genins turned their attention to their team leader. Despite the…'interesting' moment a minute ago, Minato smiled and gazed at his students with a proud look in his eyes. "Good work you guys. You've known that it'd be difficult to snatch the bells away from me, but still tried until the end. This exercise has shown me that you all are determined, resourceful, and able to work as a team. If you keep this up, the exams will be manageable."

"I'm sensing a 'but' in there, sensei," Rin commented wearily. She, too, had decided to lie down on the dirt, not caring for the mess her clothes would be in.

Chuckling fondly, Minato nodded positively and continued thoughtfully, "Obito, your jutsus are too taxing for your reserves, the taijutsu still needs improvement, and you still hesitate to use a kunai against me. Rin, you don't have a variety of jutsus for different situations, but we'll get to that. You are lacking in physical strength and agility, but those too, can be dealt with later. And Naru...we have to find jutsus that aren't too destructive for you, and maybe work on some genjutsu. We should expand a little of your sealing repertoires for all types of situations, and perhaps dabble in other arts you may need... However, since you've all done well today, I say we go celebrate!"

"YATTA!" the genins all cheered with arms in the air. Chuckling at their behavior, Minato came over and ruffled each pre-teen's hair.

"Let's all go celebrate at Ichiraku's!" Naru exclaimed excitedly, and leaped into air in absolute joy.

"Yeah!" Obito agreed as he copied his teammate's actions. Rin and Minato sighed wearily, and the two left the clearing at a sedate pace.

* * *

After cleaning up a little, the whole team met up a little away from the ramen stand. As they walked down the street, Naru couldn't take it anymore, and slowed down to match Rin and Obito's pace. Minato was only a few feet ahead, but the blonde pre-teen felt like whispering, "Psst, now will you tell me why Minato-nii goes crazy when Kakashi or Gai's around?"

Obito almost slipped down the pavement, while Rin blushed and fidgeted uncomfortably.

Righting himself, the Uchiha hissed in disbelief, "You still don't get it?"

"No!" the blonde hissed back in annoyance, and turned to her other teammate again.

Still blushing, Rin stuttered vaguely, "Erm... H-He t-thinks that the boys are...a-are...a-attracted."

"By what?" the confused Naru wondered owlishly.

"S-Sometimes, Minato-sensei thinks t-that," the other girl began quietly, but seeing the blonde's irritated look made her blurt out loudly, "KAKASHI LIKES YOU!"

"WHAT!" two voices shrieked in response. Now, three pre-teens were completely baffled.

Naru, Obito and Rin could understand the need to yell, but who was the second? Glancing around the street, the three could see several, baffled villagers and an enraged Minato stopping in his steps.

The jounin had found it puzzling that his students were dawdling, and decided to stroll back to them to get them going; but did NOT expect Rin to shout out to the world, "KAKASHI LIKES YOU!" Minato's daddy-senses went tingling in alarm. He did NOT want to hear that _Kakashi _had feelings to his precious, little angel! Blasphemy!

Letting a thin 'smile' grace his lips, Minato _calmly_ asked his nervous student, "Rin, what did you say, just now? I don't believe I heard it _correctly_."

The girl fidgeted under her teacher's gaze, and apologized hesitantly, "Erm...I'm sorry?" Was her teacher in complete denial? He, of all people, should have known that he had a _tiny _sister complex.

However, an unlikely savior appeared, commenting in bewilderment, "Geez, what's got your panties in a twist?" Temporary Team Minato turned to face a wide-eyed Kushina and an amused Tsunade standing by a bookstore.

Frowning slightly, Minato turned his head away and replied quietly, "Nothing dear."

The two newcomers shared a look, but didn't pursue the issue. Naru and Obito had chosen to go up ahead, so the two women trailed after them. Maybe they'd get answers from the genins.

Minato and Rin were left alone, striding in complete silence.

And then...

"Rin, what you said earlier...it was a lie, right?"

"Sensei?"

* * *

**I don't know if you guys know, but I wrote this before Tobi was de-masked, so Naru doesn't know that Tobi's Obito.**

**Sorry if I made you guys wait too long. School's getting busier as the holidays get closer. **

**LOL! I completely forgot about Naru training with Shikaku, and didn't remember until one reviewer told me. And I thank you for that. I added it in now. **

**Btw, I would appreciate it if there were no flamers reviewing. There are just some reviews that make me want to say, "If you don't like it, then why are you reading it," ya' know.**

**But I do appreciate the other reviewers that like this story of mine.**

**ttyl**


	35. Onto Suna!

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for Naruto talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

"Did you pack a toothbrush?" Kushina asked; eyes darting here and there as her little family prepared to travel to Suna. They all would've been at the gates by now, if the woman hadn't stopped the other two to check for supplies, for the THIRD time.

"Yes," two bored voices answered. Namikaze Minato and Naru appreciated the Uzumaki's concerns, but this was just ridiculous. The two had done everything the day before, and were just waiting for their teammates and other genin teams to show up.

"Did you put in extra storage scrolls?" the red-head asked again.

"Yeah," the same bored people said.

"Did you pack extra rations?" Kushina inquired, wringing her hands together anxiously.

"Yes."

"Do you have extra clothes?" the woman asked, still quite unfinished.

"Yes, we do. Please just stop, Kushina," Minato replied, patting his fiancée's shoulder with a small smile.

With shoulders stiff, the red-head ranted, "But I can't help it! You're both out there, and I'm over here! I can't cheer you on until the third part of the exams, and anything could happen to you! I know that you're both very capable of surviving out there, but I just can't help but worry and go crazy without actually being there with you both!" Her breathing was uneven as she tried to stay calm, so Minato hugged her in comfort.

"Aw, come on, 'Kaa-san! We'll be back before you know it," Naru chipped in happily, attempting to lighten the mood.

Sighing in resignation, Kushina finally gave in, and nodded in agreement. "You're right. I shouldn't be so uptight about this. But I can't help but feel that this is going to become a huge headache."

Waving the concern away with a hand, Naru rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it, 'Kaa-san. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

"Chuunin Exams, Chuunin Exams!" two enthusiastic cheers cried out in the middle of nowhere- A.K.A. a desert. Naru and Obito jumped in the air, pumping fists in excitement...again. They just couldn't keep still after making it halfway through the vast land of sand, sand, and more sand.

Behind them, Minato and Rin followed the two, frustrated by their teammates' limitless energy. 'Isn't the jounin-sensei supposed to be the one leading the team?' Minato thought with a sweatdrop. There were reasons why battle formations were practiced. It was also embarrassing in front of their fellow comrades, who didn't have two famous ninjas on their squad. When Team Minato had met the other teams at the gate, the genins were obviously green with envy and struck with adoring awe.

It had been an uncomfortable journey, for the most part. The not-so-subtle glances and low whispers were constant companions, and only the presence of the other jounins kept their students in line. But it also was a curse, since many of the jounins themselves idolized the Yellow Flash, and the admiring gazes freaked Team Minato out. It was probably why the team decided to 'lead' their group at the front.

Yet, despite the excitement, one Namikaze Naru was a little put out because her father forbade her from using her chakra-powered air board in the exams. He explained to her that it'd be pushing the 'overpowering factor' for her cover as a genin. But, he didn't say anything about outside the exams...yet. So smiling maniacally, Naru put a little distance between herself and her father, and unsealed her precious air board from the seal on her arm. The unique device named **FlyWind 03**, as it was the third prototype she had created since she experimented with the idea. The FlyWind itself wasn't too flashy, just kept neutrally silver in color, red seals drawn all over the place, and only about four feet long and one and a half feet wide. It was made with mismatch parts of metal and wood, which originally made it look like something one would find in a junk yard. But with a little effort and improvement, no one could tell how tacky it once was.

Furthermore, speaking of the seals, when Naru showed her skin-seals to her parents, Minato was torn between being a proud papa and being horrified by the risks she'd taken, so he did both respectively. Kushina had to knock him out in order to calm him down. Thankfully, the two parents had understood their daughter's need to dabble in new techniques, so there weren't many problems over the issue. Yet, after the first knock out, Kushina had to sedate Minato again after he became too hyper about the implications in the usage of the skin-seals.

"Hey, what's that?" Obito's curious voice wondered. Naru broke out of her thoughts, and blinked.

"What's what?" she asked with a quirked brow.

Pointing at her FlyWind, the Uchiha squinted his eyes. "_That_. The weird thing you're holding. What is it?"

Looking down, Naru grinned, raising her FlyWind to show off its magnificence. Patting the object lovingly, she sighed happily, "This baby's probably the best thing since hang gliders were invented. I know there's no such thing as air walking like the tree walking exercise, but right now, this is the closest I can get to it. I made the designs and seals for the board a few years ago, but it's still a prototype device. Right now, I can't really use it for anything except leisure travel. It's suicide to fly into the open in a battle."

This time, both Rin and Obito were fascinated by the object, and Naru let them hold it and examine its craftsmanship.

"So cool!" the Uchiha breathed in awe. Like a child getting a new toy, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and he begged Naru to teach him how to use it. With a little hesitancy, the blonde obliged, telling Obito to treat it like the tree walking exercise, and not put too much chakra into the board as he flew. Rin was disappointed that she didn't get to go first; but Naru's indecisive gesture was suspicious as to whether the device was safe or not, so Obito could have his _fun_ first.

* * *

Minato, meanwhile, noticed his students huddled together from several feet behind, and squinted his eyes when he saw that Obito was holding a weirdly, familiar object. Eyebrows shooting up in alarm, the jounin told his fellow jounins, "I'm going to catch up with my students later, so you all can go on ahead," and sprinted over to his mischievous troublemakers. The other squads were left behind, somewhat bewildered.

However, the moment Minato got there, Obito had already zoomed off into the air. "YYAAAAAHHHH!" the boy screamed for his life; rapidly ascending to about a hundred feet, straight into the air. This speed of over one hundred miles/hour, and one-way-like control wasn't what he anticipated. Flailing his arms frantically, Obito cried loudly with crocodile tears, "Let me off! Let me off!" His fluctuating emotions made his chakra charge the board unsteadily, so he started zigzagging and twirling randomly around the sky. "WWWWAAAAHHH! Naru, save me!"

From down below, Naru shouted at the boy, "Baka! Stop screaming and waving your arms! Calm down and slowly cancel your chakra input while you push down! If you suddenly disconnect, you're going to drop right that second!"

Minato sighed at his students' behavior. At this rate, they'd arrive in Sunagakure a week _after_ registration. So, using his superior skills, the jounin used the **Hiraishin **on the kunai Obito had in his pouch; and appeared behind the boy, planting his feet gingerly on the edge of the device. "Minato-sensei!" the Uchiha yelped in surprise and relief. With a slight smile, the man coaxed the boy to release his chakra so that the blonde could take over. Of course, Obito did that immediately, and much to his embarrassment, Minato had to carry him bridal style so they could switch places.

Once the two descended to ground level, Obito instantly jumped down from his teacher's arms in order to squeeze said man like a koala, howling, "WWWAAHHH! MINATO-SENSEI! I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE! YOU'RE MY SAVIOR, MY HERO! I'M NEVER GUNNA RIDE THAT EVIL _THING _EVER AGAIN!"

"Oh, stop being so dramatic," Rin piped in from the side. Clearly, it was the boy's own fault for diving headfirst into something new.

Turning his snotty and watery face to his crush, which Naru guffawed at, Obito wailed, "Rin, how could you be so cruel! I almost DIED up there!"

But Minato decided to cut in faintly, "Obito...could you let go now? I really can't feel my hands anymore."

* * *

Fortunately, a few days later, Team Minato was able to arrive at Suna's gates safely. Obito stayed away from the hovering Naru, and took cover behind Rin or Minato after Naru tried to do a passenger flight test with him. And Naru, who never had been grounded before, definitely got grounded by her father; so ramen was off-limits for a MONTH. She was so shocked that she crashed into Rin, who crashed into Obito, who crashed into a sand dune. Minato had never been this entertained in his life before!

Now, the moment they stepped into the village square, Naru exclaimed loudly, "HELLO, SUNA~! THE GREAT NARU-SAMA'S RETURNED!" Practically everyone was shocked and turned their attention to the strange girl. Some of Suna's residents immediately recognized the blonde, and hastily went on a lock down in fear. They had enough pranks for one lifetime, thank you. Rin and Obito edged away from their teammate, clearly trying to illustrate that they didn't know her, while Minato face-palmed with a small groan in displeasure.

"Yo, yo, yo! Ms. Nine seems to be fine!" a crappy rapper spoke up from beside Team Minato. The squad turned to see a tall and muscular Kumo-nin cross his arms as he grinned at them.

Eyes lighting up happily, Naru cheered joyfully, "B-ossan!" She immediately ran up to launch herself at him.

"Yo, Naru!" the eccentric Jinchuriki greeted, with equal enthusiasm. The two twirled around in a circle as they hugged fiercely, and others had to get out of the way before Naru's swinging feet sailed into their faces.

By the sidelines, the rest of Team Minato, minus the jounin, ogled at the strange man before them. Why did Rin and Obito get the feeling that he and Gai would get along, A LOT?

Chuckling against a fist, Minato went over to the embracing duo and greeted B with a friendly smile, "Hello B-san. It's nice to see you again; this time off a battlefield."

Stopping in mid-twirl, the Kumo-nin grinned back and said, "Yo, Yellow Flash! I see you've yet to crash!" Everyone else, besides Naru, sweatdropped at the odd...rap.

Then, in a small cloud of smoke, a green and blue messenger toad appeared next to Minato's feet. With its long tongue, the amphibian gave him a red scroll before leaving quickly. With furrowed brows, the jounin unraveled the object; and as he read its contents, a grave expression crossed his features.

His little group noticed the change of face, and sobered up quickly. The only times they'd seen the man go into Yellow Flash mode, it never was jolly news. Naru had been the first to ask, "What is it?"

Lifting a hand to comb through his untamable spikes, Minato answered with a frown, "Orochimaru's experiment labs were found and contained. Sandaime-sama went to confront him when he tried to flee. The Hokage's alright, but Orochimaru's defected from the village, Naru." All those listening in frowned as well, went stiff in shock, or began murmuring to each other.

On the other hand, Naru was a little confused. Wasn't the snake kind of moving too fast?

Obito, unimpressed by the news, protested, "B-But sensei! Why would Orochimaru of the _Sannin_ want to abandon the village! And what labs! And what experiments!"

Turning to face his student, Minato's lips were a thin line. "Orochimaru has been conducting illegal, and not to mention INHUMANE, experiments on people. The most recent findings were a group of civilians being injected with some unidentifiable chemicals. The civilians were all from Konoha, Obito. Orochimaru may have been a Konoha shinobi, but he's crossed the line."

The murmurings worked up again, and the majority of the onlookers were becoming unsettled. Rin, worried, asked her teacher, "Minato-sensei, what's going to happen now? Are we being recalled back?"

Shaking his head negatively, the jounin answered with a sigh, "No, we're continuing with the exams. Sandaime-sama, Jiraiya-sensei, Tsunade-sama, and Sakumo-sempai can take care of the problems at home. Besides, there's not much we can do since the incident was two days ago; we just move on like normal."

B crossed his arms and frowned. "Well, that's maddeningly unhelpful."

Naru instantly went swiveled her head towards him and went bug-eyed. No rapping B!

Noticing that, the Kumo-nin quirked a brow. "What, you shrimpy nut?"

Scowling at being called a shrimp and a nut, the pre-teen grumbled, "Nothing your puny brain needs to know, you wrinkly roe."

A vein throbbed on B's head, so he got the blonde in a headlock and bit back, "What'd you call the master, you fool, ya' fool!" The man started giving Naru a fierce noogie, making the girl blubber and protest at the treatment. The others watched the interaction with faint incredulity, seeing as how severe the situation was.

"B, so this is where you've been, you numbskull!" a booming and gruff voice exclaimed irately. All turned to see an annoyed A and a frustrated Raikage make their way towards the group. B abruptly dropped Naru to the sand with a muffled thud; and ran away, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

"B!" A angrily yelled at his departing brother, and the two began a _merry _chase throughout the village.

Team Minato, the Raikage, and other onlookers were left on their own. It was Minato who broke the awkward silence by greeting the other Kage with a bow, "It's nice to see you up and about, Raikage-sama."

Quirking a brow, E replied neutrally, "You're making it sound like I've been disabled. But yeah, it's great being out of Kumo for a bit."

Minato smiled and laughed, while his students- minus Naru- stared at the...body builder of a Kage. Oh, they've heard of toned ninjas alright, but this was just nuts!

Unperturbed by the presence of the Raikage, Naru greeted cheerfully, "Hey, E-jisan; aren't you afraid of blowing a hip yet?" Those around her, besides the Kumo-nins, made choked noises in shock.

Minato blinked and promptly settled a gentle fist on top of her noggin. "Ko-ra, respect your elders, Naru."

The girl opened her mouth to disagree, but a strange disturbance interrupted her.

*BOOM*

A distant explosion came from the east, and all those within range were slightly unbalanced from the resulting quake. Naru and the Raikage were positive that A had caught up to B rather violently.

However, Obito was shocked, and exclaimed nervously, "W-What was that!"

Waving the concern away with a lazy hand, Naru answered indifferently, "Aw, that's nothing. Just A-ossan catching up to B-ossan. They're quite..._explosive _siblings." Then she turned to E and asked, "By the way, does A-ossan still break windows?"

Making a low grunt, the Raikage said, "Yeah. My office needs a new one, again."

Confused, Rin inquired curiously, "Why would he break windows?"

"Because he's stupid," Naru replied nonchalantly. The Raikage chuckled in amusement, while Minato cradled his head in his hand with a sigh.

"That's not it! It's called a flashy exit, you brat!" the familiar yell of A protested from the group's right. They all turned to see him trapping a struggling B in a chokehold, while walking back towards his father.

"What kind of flashy exit is that! You're just making a mess!" Naru argued loudly.

B supported the blonde by saying, "My BRUTHZA', listen to the idiot, ya' idiot."

"WHAT'D YOU SAY!" A roared, and swung B to the ground with a loud thud. Naru joined in on the pulverizing, and soon, everything was a cloud of dust and stray fists with kicks.

"My, my. It looks like everybody's having fun," an amused man commented with a chuckle. Those not involved in the fight looked to the side to see the Third Kazekage strolling their way in his official robes.

E grunted and grumbled, "Says you."

Shaking his head dismissively, the Kazekage said pleasantly, "It's actually nice to see someone in high spirits these days."

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, B!" A roared again.

Everyone else just sweatdropped.

* * *

**UCHIHA SECRET COUNCIL:**

An elder hidden in the shadows casted from the dim light of a candle spoke to Fugaku, who sat in the middle of a spacious, round table, "Why has there been no progress made in our plans, Fugaku? Are you running away, now that we've begun to take measures?"

With a calm disposition, the clan head replied vaguely, "There have been recent improvements, but not with the coup itself."

Another aged elder frowned and sternly asked, "What is the meaning of this, Fugaku?"

Closing his eyes with resignation, Fugaku answered simply, "The Hokage and those he absolutely trusts _know_." Immediately, all those within the secret chamber began murmuring, talking, protesting, arguing, and generally made a ruckus. Slightly amused by the turn of events, Fugaku thought apreciatively; he must commend Naru for anticipating this discussion so soon.

*FLASHBACK*

Two days before the genin teams left for Suna, the Namikaze bunch and their friends were celebrating for a 'good luck' party; and they had invited the Uchiha Head family over to the Hatake Estate. At first, Sakumo had been annoyed at Kushina and Jiraiya for using his home without permission, again, but let it go in favor of his sociably-inept son's development. Kakashi was kind of reverting back into his four-year-old self without his team's influence.

Of course, Fugaku accepted the invite, and discovered that there had been another reason why they wanted him there. In the midst of the rambunctious partying, Naru had coaxed him over to the small garden for a short conversation. Under the moonlight, the time traveler's eyes glowed sharply as she said, "When things get busy, I'm positive that the Uchiha Elders will want answers. When they do; give them a half-truth."

Slightly taken aback by her rare seriousness, Fugaku inquired, "What do you mean?"

Shrugging indifferently, Naru replied with vague disinterest, "Tell them that the Hokage and others are aware of the plans, and that it's definitely not a bright idea to keep going forward. Tell the elders that Saru-jiji's willing to negotiate, and that not everyone dislikes the Uchihas. Your clan is misunderstood most of the time because you choose to argue, distance yourselves, and challenge the Hokage's authority. Tell them that it's not the coup that will bring change; it'll be by Obito's hands and the future generation. Well, something like that I guess."

Narrowing his eyes, Fugaku inquired, "You're willing to pull that naïve boy into this so soon?"

Running a tired hand through her tresses, Naru sighed. "If Obito manages to survive the next three years, he will get involved either way." Then, she held eye contact with the clan head, cerulean eyes piercing his being. "I've told you...Obito and Itachi will determine your clan's fate. Those elders and extremists really NEED to SEE that fact, and be very willing to stand by their side. Otherwise," Naru drawled, face becoming emotionless, "Itachi will be the one to pay the price, AGAIN. He, of all people, shouldn't have to be the one to fix the older generations' mistakes… Remember Fugaku-san, no Obito and no Itachi means bye-bye Uchiha Clan."

Fugaku was becoming paler by the minute because of that reminder, but slowly assented with a resolute nod.

*FLASHBACK ENDS*

Two loud knocks reverberated throughout the room. "Order!" an old baritone demanded, "Order! We shall have ORDER!"

Gradually, the ruckus died down to a trickle, and Fugaku's blank look dominated over them. Once all was completely silent, he began evenly, "It seems that…Konoha has not forsaken us as much as we believed, gentlemen."

Predictably, several protests arose throughout the dark chamber.

"Ridiculous!"

"Don't be foolish, Fugaku!"

"What blasphemy!"

The same man from before beat his fist on top of the table, shouting, "Order! We shall have order!" Again, the others were forced to halt in their vocalizations and gave their clan head the floor, albeit more skeptical than before.

Fugaku continued in his same, composed manner, "Yes, it was a ridiculous notion to me as well, knowing our clan's history of neglect and suffering, but I have now understood that it is the truth. Yet, the clan never acknowledged it, preferring to hate, distance ourselves from the people, and constantly challenge the Hokage's authority. The other clans and shinobi of the village have no motivation to trust us when we have not even shown that we do care."

The other elders were about to retort angrily, but Fugaku cut in, "I understand...we've protected Konoha since the beginning of its foundings, but that is because it is in our blood. Even the Nara Clan, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Hyuuga, Sarutobi, and Senju know why and how to fight; but that is not enough. By the shinobi rules, on the battlefield, we discard emotions and compassion in order to accomplish an assignment. The other people know that and have experienced the same as we; but off the battlefield, just what does the Uchiha Clan have in common with the others? Despite our noble blood, Konoha is made up of a majority of civilians and minor clans. Only those of the main clans understand what it means to be considered a proud noble, and they are the minority. Truthfully, I have been told various times that the Uchiha are ALWAYS cold, emotionless, too prideful, too inflexible, and too distant that the majority of Konoha cannot intermingle with the clan... We must also remember...times are changing. The younger generations are becoming stronger, and it will soon be time for the elder generations to step down and let the younger lead. Beginning from the generation consisting of Namikaze Naru, Hatake Kakashi, Nohara Rin, and their fellow genins and chuunins; the children do not understand why the Uchiha have always been at odds with Konoha. They have grown up with the mindset to not live in the past, to make acquaintances out of the whole of Konoha, and stand by any Konoha shinobi as loyal comrades. We cannot blame the children for the injustice of history when they were not even born to live in it. Can the Uchiha not resolve to let the hatred passed down from the old generations go in favor of peace? We have lived on too much blood than necessary."

The council members protested adamantly, and were borderline-violent, but as clan head, Fugaku bellowed above the noise, "We've carried the hatred long enough! Why must we continue a meaningless vengeance when there are better alternatives? Do not forget, the Hokage is aware of the coup's existence! It is only a matter of mercy that we are currently standing!"

The others were still stubborn, although some hesitated about supporting the coup now. On the other hand, the extremely radical elders glared at Fugaku and remained tightlipped during the squabbles.

In a more soothing tone, the clan head said, "I know...our clan has endured much betrayal and injustice, but TIMES ARE CHANGING. We are no longer the ones that will lead the world, Konoha, to a better era. You all have seen the new generation; Namikaze Naru, Hatake Kakashi, Nohara Rin, their friends, and essentially for us...Uchiha Obito."

Instantaneously, the council erupted in sputters of protest. "Y-You cannot _possibly_ THINK that, th-that _boy_ will lead our clan to a new era! I have heard that he is a disgrace to the clan name!" Others murmured in agreement.

Fugaku settled in his seat, laced his hands together on the table, and closed his eyes for a moment. "You have not seen what I have. If you observed the boy and given him a chance, you would see how he is already assisting our clan. Obito is certainly not what the Uchiha prides itself in, but that is _precisely _why _Konoha _favors him." The skepticism became more prominent on the elders' features, but Fugaku elaborated with a sigh, "Unlike us, Obito does not carry the attitude Konoha resents the Uchiha Clan for; he does not think he is superior to others, he understands humility very well, he understands the essence of hard work and companionship, and possesses a determination to succeed despite the odds. Our clan has been content with what we already have, especially with the **Sharingan**, but Obito is not content. He strives to better himself and become the best shinobi Konoha has ever prided itself in, while basking in the presence of those he considers close friends and family. The clan lacks that quality and cannot possibly _begin_ to understand Konoha if we cannot understand that one, unique _boy_." Fugaku snorted softly and remarked mockingly, "It is ironic...the 'black sheep' of this clan will be the one Konoha will prefer to support the most."

The others were too stunned to retort anything else. Then, the cland head hesitated a second before continuing on, "I know that in the near future, my son Itachi, will join Obito's growing sphere of revolution. Therefore, I plan to keep both our clan and Konoha safe for our descendents. We have had enough of hostility, gentlemen. We must stop being blind and deaf; embrace the idea that not all of this village fears or abhors the Uchiha. I am certainly willing to place the clan's fate in Obito and my son's hands when the time arises. Good day to you all." With that, he gracefully stood up and left the silent chamber.

Once he was in a safe area, Fugaku leaned against a wall to let out a shaky sigh. Now everything was going spiral into chaos. If Obito cannot prove himself worthy in the elders' eyes, Itachi may have to bear the burden. Fugaku angrily punched the wall at that thought; his son was too _good _for this clan.

Perhaps, the man thought, with a trembling hand covering his eyes, it was time to meet the Hokage.

* * *

**A BUILDING IN SUNA:**

The genins of Team Minato quickly went into a wide and spacious room where the Chuunin Exams would begin. As they entered the area, the three could see all of the different genins that came to participate, as well as a group of Suna's Chuunins by one corner of the room. In the front of the place, a small stage held a wooden podium and a blackboard was hung on the wall behind it.

Chatter reigned over the masses, until one male Chuunin went up to stand behind the podium and cleared his throat loudly. "Eh, welcome genins. The Exams will now begin. Even though we are ninjas, abide by the laws, don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, and," he grinned sadistically, and succeeded in frightening some green genins, "try not to get killed. THAT'S ALL!" The man stepped down from the stage, and an elderly woman, who Naru instantly recognized and went pale at, stepped forward from the wall. Lady Chiyo was certainly less wrinkly and grey than what the time traveler recalled, in both the future and about a year ago.

*BANG*

All of the genins jumped when the elder slammed her hands down on the wooden podium. In a creaky and loony voice, she said, "Alright, kiddies, I'm Chiyo, but that'll be Chiyo-sama to you, and I'll be the first test's proctor! Don't think that every single one of you will pass! Hehehehehe!" She cackled awkwardly, and all those who never met her before gave her looks, suggesting that she was off her rocker.

Naru, on the other hand, just facepalmed and groaned in dismay. Just what was the Kazekaze _thinking_!

* * *

**SPECIAL: FOUR HUNDRED PAINTBALLS**

Kakashi glared at Naru and argued, "That's not going to work, you moron."

Naru glared back and retorted with equal annoyance, "It will!"

"No it won't," the masked boy remarked indifferently.

"Will too!" the blonde repeated vehemently.

"No it won't."

"Yes it will."

"No it won't, you idiot."

"How many times do I have to tell you? It will!"

"And how many times do _I _have to tell you? It won't!"

Suddenly, something grabbed the back of the two pre-teens' heads, and brought them together a little forcefully. Naru and Kakashi yelped in pain and abruptly dropped to the ground when the interloper let go of them.

Holding back the tears that wanted to make their way to the surface, Naru and Kakashi cradled their heads and looked up to see Asuma pointing at a blank-faced Genma.

The senbon-chewing teen told his juniors dully, "Stop arguing. We're going to start without you two if ya' don't."

Naru gave him the finger while Kakashi grumbled under his breath. The two ended up standing a little unsteadily, but were balanced enough to go on with their plans. They went to stand next to an excited Obito, who couldn't shut up without telling them how exhilarating and magnificent this event would be.

The Hatake heir was a little wee-close to socking the Uchiha in the face when Raido bellowed joyfully, "Oi, you guys, load the guns! Tell me when you're ready!"

A few movements later, several people hollered back with equal enthusiasm.

"I'm good to go!"

"Me too!"

"It's ready!"

But Kakashi didn't feel very happy, so he stomped on Obito's foot when the boy was about to wave a green flag. Immediately squawking in pain, the Uchiha let go of the flag, which ended up hitting Anko on the head.

"Ow!" the girl howled as she rubbed her bruised noggin.

Obito didn't notice, as he tried to cradle his injured foot, and inevitably toppled over to push Asuma from behind him. The boy was too surprised to stay upright, and ended up smacking himself into Kurenai, who hit Gai.

They all fell down in a heap of dirt, complaining noisily, "Who the hell hit me!"

"Ow!"

"What the hell, Kakashi!"

"Obito!"

"Oh, my YOUTHFUL friends, that was not YOUTHFUL of you at all!"

"QUIET!" Raido bellowed, trying to bring back order. Everyone stopped talking and went back to their positions.

With a sigh, Genma said, "If you're ready, on the count to three, we'll launch everything at once."

"One."

Naru noticed something below the Hokage Mountain, but it was a little blurry to identify it.

"Two."

She squinted her eyes, and could almost make out the blurry object. Then, her eyes went bug-eyed, and she whipped her head towards her friends to say, "Wait!"

But Genma finished dully, "Three."

*WHAP*

All of the catapults, except Naru's, propelled four hundred pellets of paintballs towards the unfortunate village below. These paintballs were specifically designed to release the paint five seconds after launch, and in multitude of color.

Naru went pale and gulped. Oh, no, no, no, no! She had to get away from the crime scene, and fast!

* * *

"Oi, Minato!" Kushina hollered from a busy street. Her fiancé stopped walking and turned to see his lover waving as she made her way over to him.

Minato smiled and greeted the red-head with a kiss on the cheek. "And where have you been all day, my lady?"

Linking their arms together, the woman dragged them both down the street. "Oh nothing much. I just went to buy an umbrella."

"Umbrella? But it's summer," the man pointed out with confusion.

"I know," Kushina said, and rummaged through her pockets to take out said object. Lifting the stopper, she unfurled a clear, plastic umbrella, and held it above her head.

Minato was about to say that it wasn't raining, when he felt something cold trickle down his face. Looking up bewilderedly, he mumbled, "Rain?" He lifted a hand and wiped the liquid off of his cheek. He examined the thing, and noticed that it wasn't the watery substance of precipitation. No, it was green colored paint. Instantly realizing where this was going, Minato was about to run for cover when a thick and quick downpour of paint washed over Konoha.

People screamed and panicked all over, but only Kushina seemed to be acting normal and calm. Everyone and everything, besides the woman herself, were drenched in florescent colors.

A rainbow shaded Minato glanced accusingly at his fiancée and said, "You knew."

Looking at him as if he was stupid, Kushina replied, "Well yeah. How could you NOT know?"

Restraining the frustration quite poorly, the man frantically scanned the Hokage Mountain for the troublemakers that surely caused this disturbance. For a moment, Minato was surprised to find Kakashi among the group of delinquents, but dismissed that in favor of sprinting his way over to the bunch of pranksters. "KAKASHI, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AND OBITO! NARU, DON'T EVEN _THINK_ THAT I DIDN'T SEE YOU!"

Kushina heard faint screams of horror, and grinned to herself. Glancing to the side, the woman passed ten Ichiraku coupons over to a heavily panting Naru. "You win, Naru-chan. I didn't think Minato would act like that."

Despite the fatigue, Naru accepted the prize and replied, "He's...predictable...'Kaa-san."

Her mother nodded in agreement, but thoughtfully asked, "But don't you think FOUR hundred paintballs were too much?"

Naru shook her head negatively. "No. That was almost enough to paint a big smiley face on Konoha. If you look from the sky, the village is now a big, rainbow colored picture."

"Ah, I see," Kushina nodded in understanding.

"NAMIKAZE NARU, COME BACK HERE!" Minato roared from a few yards away. He had Kakashi and Obito's heads tucked under his arms, and was hastily making his way over to catch a third perpetrator.

Sweating bullets, Naru ran away, shouting back, "BUT I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING THIS TIME!"

"Naru, help me!" Obito cried.

"Sensei, I'm sorry! Could you let go now! I promise I've seen the error of my ways! It was a lapse of childish judgment!" Kakashi reasoned as he struggled uselessly.

"AAAAHHH! GO AWAY!" Naru squealed as she took to the roofs. Minato followed closely behind with the boys flailing like pieces of paper in his grasp.

Kushina, who was left behind once more, exclaimed at the departing group, "You guys gotta' be home in time for dinner!" Then, she hummed happily and continued her stroll down the painted streets of Konoha.

A minute later, an agonizing screech filled the air, "AAAGGGGHHH! I PROMISE I'LL BE A GOOD KID, MINATO-SENSEI!"

Kushina paused in her walk and lifted a curious eyebrow. "Just what is he doing to them?"

* * *

**THANK YOU, THERE'S OVER 400 FOLLOWERS. IT'S REALLY SHOCKING!**

* * *

**Hey, sorry for the delay. I'm just a little out of it these days, and having a cold isn't helping. Plus, school's back in session after a break, so it's a little stressing.**

**Btw, I'm going to do another poll on my prof. I've decided to have only ONE other person come back from the future to assist Naru. **

**List:**

**Sasuke**

**Kakashi**

**Sakura**

**Shikamaru**

**Gaara**

**Tenzou (Yamato)**

**Sai**

**Konohamaru (He's kind of a maybe)**

**Some other ppl. I might think of later**

**I get that some of the options already exist in the story, but it'll kind of work out...probably.**

**Btw, if anyone could help me how to really write good fighting scenes would be great.**


	36. Decisions

"Hey" for speaking

'Hey' for Naruto talking to Kurama/thinking

* * *

Lady Chiyo smiled eerily as she told the examinees, "I don't know what test you think this is, and I don't care."

'Then why are you talking about it?' Naru sweatdropped.

'The old hag's very unoriginal,' Kurama's voice commented unexpectedly.

Naru slightly jumped at the rude intrusion of privacy, and spoke to the bijuu with a skeptical tone, 'Hey, why're you here?'

Ignoring Lady Chiyo's long-winded speech, the fox replied flippantly, 'I was bored. Your mom's annoying when she's worried.'

*BANG*

All of the genins were startled out of their wits when Lady Chiyo set off a mild explosive tag to the ceiling, which was crumbling. The elder glared in Naru's direction and snapped irritably, "Blonde midget in the corner, why aren't you paying attention!" All eyes turned to said blonde midget, A.K.A. Naru.

A vein throbbed threateningly on the girl's temple. Obito and Rin slowly edged away from their teammate, clearly seeing how ticked she was. It didn't help that Kurama still found joy in making fun of her height. 'Shut up, you furball,' Naru grumbled crossly, but the fox continued to chuckle in amusement. The girl settled for glaring at the elder proctor, who wasn't intimidated at all.

Cackling like a maniac, the woman spoke loudly, "Well, whatever. Anyways, this chuunin exam will only have TWO parts this time!" Many began whispering to each other in confusion.

"Oi, Rin, what's going on? Is that old hag crazy or what?" Obito murmured behind a not-so-hidden hand.

Rin slapped a hand against the back of the boy's head. "You idiot. Don't be so rude. Exams aren't always going to be the same."

The Uchiha leaned away and rubbed his stinging cranium. "It doesn't make her any less insane though," he mumbled.

Naru nodded solemnly. "Very true. Well said, partner." Rin just rolled her eyes at the two.

*BANG*

The small hole in the ceiling just got bigger and was smoking. Lady Chiyo shouted irately, "Shut up you brats and listen!" The room went quiet again. "This time, the Kazekage believes that the first part of the exams will be sufficient enough to cover for both the written and survival portion. You will all be lead to different gates for Training Ground Deathtrap. Each team will be given a slip, containing a riddle, to find one of the seven markers- tags, slips, paper, whatever you wanna' call it- placed in there. The markers come in orange, red, blue, purple, green, yellow, and black; you can only get one of each color! On each marker, there's another riddle to find the next piece, so you better brush up your brains kiddos... Don't forget! All survival exams are team-free-for-alls; you can get rid of competition in any way!"

Naru quirked a brow. Was it really a good thing to save the Third Kazekage? Well, she could already guess _where_ her team would be going; her second Chuunin Exam during the Fourth Shinobi War was kind of memorable. However, the blonde didn't think that her teammates have faced mutant scorpions and crazy, desert creatures before; Naru hoped Obito wouldn't freak out.

Clearing her throat, Lady Chiyo continued, "You all have five days to get all seven markers! Seeing as there's rarely anything to eat out in the sand, everyone's allowed to pack only TWO AND A HALF's day worth of supplies!"

"NNNOOO!" an Akimichi genin wailed with a horrified face.

"SHUT UP, you lard!" the elder yelled. "You all should know the rule by now! Nothin's fair in our world, and only the best will live!" All the ninjas present shifted their faces and nodded soberly. "In this test, get to the other side of the training ground within those given five days, possessing all seven markers, with YOUR WHOLE TEAM! If a teammate dies, you're disqualified! Each team will be given a signal flare in case any of you want to drop out; bet on your ass that I won't be happy if you wimp out! We'll give you a map of the place, so you can't get lost unless your whole team are morons! The chuunins by the walls will call out your team name and guide you to Training Ground Deathtrap. Don't die, kiddies! Hehehehehe!"

"I hate Suna," Obito mumbled with a pale face.

Scratching her chin thoughtfully, Naru said, "Well...it could've been worse."

* * *

In Konoha, time slowed in the Hokage's office. The Third sat with a grave expression on his features, and placed his pipe in his mouth with a frown. In front of him sat Fugaku, Jiraiya and Tsunade leaned on the window, while Sakumo and Kushina were standing by the wall. They all mimicked the solemn look on their leader's face, not quite happy at all.

Letting out a thin line of smoke, the Hokage's gaze sharpened, and he inquired with a somber tone, "Is this what you truly desire, Fugaku?"

The clan head returned the gaze, unwavering, as he answered resolutely, "Yes."

Kushina wanted to protest, but Sakumo placed a firm hand on her shoulders. The red-head looked at him defiantly, but the man shook his head negatively. The Uzumaki Princess huffed and turned her frowning features back to the Hokage.

The aged leader sighed and rubbed a fatigued hand against his face. Complying wearily, he replied, "Very well, Fugaku, we shall do this your way," the others merely frowned grimly, "However, we shall not act until the Chuunin Exams are finished. Our forces are diminished enough as it is. Kiri and several of the minor nations have been getting more antsy and bold in their attacks."

"I understand, Hokage-sama," Fugaku simply agreed.

Nodding firmly, the Third said, "As you wish. In four months time, no more and no less, the fate of the Uchiha Clan will be determined. When the exams are over, Namikaze Minato, Namikaze Naru, and Uchiha Obito are to be notified about these developments."

However, Jiraiya mildly protested with a grimace, "But Old Man, Obito might not be able to handle it. He might act like that Sasuke-brat from Naru's time."

Lifting a hand to silence his student, the Hokage replied firmly, "I understand that risk. Therefore, Obito will be monitored carefully when he is briefed on the vaguest of plans. Unless proven otherwise, the boy may not know anything crucial; understood?"

"Yes, sir," his subordinates answered gravely.

Sighing once more, the Third dismissed the meeting. Only Tsunade and Jiraiya stayed, attempting to lift their spirits by having a drink with their teacher.

* * *

**IN TRAINING GROUND DEATHTRAP:**

"Aaaahhh!" two, shrill screams filled the open desert.

"**KRYAHHH!**" went the howl of a gigantic, desert spider. Scuttling angrily, the creature chased after the two fleeing humans in front of it, intent on eating a light snack.

"Obito, fry the thing!" a frantic Rin shrieked as she and her male teammate sprinted across the never-ending sand.

"**KRYAH!**" the enormous insect screeched again, annoyed by the pesky morsels. Its legs slammed down a few feet behind Obito and Rin, thinking that the quake would make them stumble; but it only made the two scamper away faster.

Running as fast as he could try, a sweaty Obito shrieked back, "I can't, Rin! If I slow down, I'll die! It's _this _close to eating me!"

"You wuss!" Rin screamed, attempting to throw explosive tags at the mutant creature behind her.

"Am not!" the Uchiha retorted, and yelped when a pair of large, drool-infested pincers snapped a few centimeters away from his ass. "Where's Naru!" he yelled desperately, trying to jump away from the persistent snappers trailing behind him.

"**Odama Rasengan**!" the heroine cried shoving the big ball of chakra into the hostile spider's back. With a deafening yowl, the insect-thing fell in a cloud of sand.

"Man, that was just _awesome_!" a hyper Naru exclaimed with a wide grin. Unlike her tired and disheveled teammates, the blonde was currently the epitome of clean and lively.

Flopping down onto his knees, Obito cried out dramatically, "Oh my god! We're alive! We're ALIVE!" His arms were raised in a 'banzai' fashion, almost smacking one of them into Rin's drawn kunai.

His crush couldn't bother to shut the boy up anymore. She agreed with Obito, and gulped for air. "Naru, can you get the marker that's on the thing's forehead?"

"Right o', capt'n!" the blonde saluted playfully, doing as she was told.

Her teammates sweatdropped at her attitude. If it wasn't for the fact that ninjas became loopier the stronger they got, they would've chucked her into the insane asylum. How could they NOT think that, after witnessing the girl practically jumping in joy the moment she found out where the survival exam was taking place? Rin and Obito swore they heard her mumble, "Home sweet home," at the gates. Clearly, something was really, really wrong with Naru's head. Maybe it was the one-too-many doses of cup ramen from these past, few days.

Oblivious to their thoughts, Naru read the riddle on the blue tag. "_I love rocks enough to nap on them._"

Rin scratched her head. "What a strange riddle."

Sighing in relief, Obito said, "Whatever! Let's blow this crazy place; I don't need any more big bugs coming after me." He turned around and took a step forward.

*BOOM*BOOM*BOOM*

"**KKRRYYAAHHH!**" came multiple, ominous cries. A whole group of giant spider-things popped out of the sand, screeching angrily in Team Minato's direction.

"Now you've done it, Obito," Naru sighed resignedly.

* * *

**OUTSIDE OF SUNAGAKURE'S WALLS:**

"Ugh. It's hot," an orange-haired man moaned despairingly. He wore a light brown coat to keep the sand away, but was torn between taking it off and keeping it on.

A blude-haired woman sighed. "Man up, Yahiko, we're almost there."

"I don't wanna'!" the man whined, childishly stomping his foot onto the sand. Waving his arms around to emphasize the size of the lands, he shouted dramatically, "Do you SEE this, Konan? All I've gotten to do is walk through a freakin' _desert_, I have this _incredible _itch in places that shouldn't be mentioned, AND it's really HOT! I don't see a village anywhere NEAR here!"

A hand pushed Yahiko's head to face west, and the owner of the appendage said, "Look again, Yahiko." Nagato was fed up with his friends constant complaining, and just wanted some peace and quiet.

"Eh?" The orange-haired man blinked two times, and his squashed gaze noticed an unnatural rift of sand, coincidentally shaped like a cocoon-building. Eyes lighting up excitedly, Yahiko sprinted forward happily. "Ya-hoo! A freakin' civilization! I thought I was going to die out here! I hate Suna."

Rubbing a tired hand against her temple, Konan yelled at the energetic man irately, "You idiot! Act your age! We want a good relationship with the other nations, Yahiko! And you're supposed to be our leader!"

Following his wayward friend to the village, Nagato said, "Leave him be. He's never going to listen. Jiraiya-sensei's taught him that much."

"But he's the face of Ame! He's our leader, and he might embarrass us with his antics," Konan protested fearfully.

Shrugging his shoulders, Nagato pointed out, "I don't think that's an issue, Konan. Look." He jerked a thumb in the direction where Yahiko was ecstatically greeting the Sunagakure gate guards. The apparent, Ame leader was chatting a mile a minute, oblivious to the odd looks the other ninjas were giving him. Glancing behind him, Nagato told his female friend, "Besides. I think he's like this today because he remembered that Naru's participating in the exams. You know he has a soft spot for the girl."

Staring at Yahiko with a flat expression on her face, Konoan replied dully, "We're doomed."

* * *

**IN TRAINING GROUND DEATHTRAP:**

"Ah-choo!" Obito sneezed, resulting in a long strange of snot running down his nose. He shivered with gritted teeth, dreading his midnight shift in the open desert. It was almost mid December, and camping out here with little to no supplies was SO not healthy! He envied Rin and Naru, whom were sharing the one tent they had.

But within a few minutes, the Uchiha ended up staring up at the half-moon, contemplating with a sad look in his eyes. He never, really told anyone; but on a mission two weeks before Naru's return, he had the most _peculiar_ encounter in his life. He had been reckless enough to endanger his own teammates' lives; and Obito tried to make it up to them by tackling the enemy off a cliff. He ended up awakening his **Sharingan** at the last moment, but there was no time for celebration. The ninja he pushed off died against a sharp rock; while he had fallen into a raging river, unconscious. When Obito woke up, he was placed in a strange cave with an odd, tree-statue-thing, and an old geezer calling himself _the _Uchiha Madara went all hermit-like on him.

It was kind of the first time that Obito felt as though he was in a tizzy. Despite his beliefs and experiences, his apparent ancestor had more to offer than his own teenage brain. Obito was confused and torn in the ways of being a shinobi, and Madara had been nothing but civil to him. Which side was the boy supposed to believe? He admired his sensei and the man's dreams, but his ancestor had his own points, too. It wasn't reassuring either, since Madara had let Obito go so that the boy could think about his offer for no more than one month. Yet, would he join Madara, or would he stay with Konoha?

He was also afraid..._very_ afraid of Madara, and what his ancestor could do to the world. Obito had never seen someone so adamant about vengeance, a twisted reality of peace, and so persistent about sacrifice. Madara may be unable to do anything at the moment, but if Obito refused to go with him, would the man find another Uchiha to act as a pawn? Even if it wasn't Obito who did it, would the sympathetic 'comrade' cause as much trouble as Madara believed he would? There were so many factors, so many branches, formulas, scenarios, and possibilities that it terrified the boy. His common sense also knew enough that whatever he thought, Madara could easily do too, probably twenty times over.

How was the world supposed to deal with a monster like that? Uchiha Madara was fabled to be able to control the strongest bijuu in the world, so how could anyone match up to that legend? Obito doubted Minato-sensei could do such a thing without sacrificing his own life, and perhaps others, to obtain victory. Everyone knew the Sandaime was getting old; Senju Tsunade had no gifts from the First, and Orochimaru had defected. All of the promising ninjas out there were 'too young' compared to the illustrious Madara; and by the man's current aura alone, Obito could tell that his ancestor was no pushover.

Obito felt so lost, so confused, so strangled; should he go up, down, left, right, backwards, forwards, or sideways? He was only a boy, the black sheep of the powerful Uchiha Clan; he wasn't some super hero or tactician that everyone looked up to. Hell, he was still a genin, the bottom of the barrel, the lowest on the food chain. He wasn't the genius Kakashi, the taijutsu monster named Gai, or the shinobi prodigy that was Naru. Obito was only an average genin that still needed his hand to be held by his sensei; so what was it that Uchiha Madara wanted from him? Did the man only approach him because he was the last resort, the leftover option?

Obito brought his knees to his chest and rested his chin on his crossed arms. Right now, he'd like nothing more to just go home...to pretend to be normal, and not deal with the problems the big shots have to deal with in the world. But then again, he thought with a self-pitying glint in his eyes, what difference would it make back home? His own clan despised him; he was the epitome of the opposite of an Uchiha, a failure in their eyes. Kakashi used to consider Obito a loser, until the Uchiha had risked his own life for his teammate, and his crush Rin used to think that he was a slacking goofball. Minato-sensei never spoke a word, but sometimes, Obito felt like the man was disappointed in him.

And there was Naru; she was the enigma in the whole equation. The boy couldn't tell if she was serious or joking at times, because she acted so damn well. Sometimes, Obito felt like the girl was someone he could sympathize with, kind of like a mirrored twin or sister. Since the day he met her, Obito could feel the same vibe between Naru and himself…like she understood his pain as much as he understood hers. But she was also a whole lot different than him; she was powerful in her own right and already had a name for herself in the Bingo books. He'd seen the way people flocked to her, like bees and honey, they all stuck around her. Obito always admired that quality, and he envied her for it as well. Shouldn't someone like Uchiha Madara approach Naru instead?

Obito was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear said blonde coming from behind him. "What are you thinking about, Obito?" she asked conversationally. She'd never seen her teammate so…melancholy before; it reminded her a little of Sasuke.

The boy was startled out of his reverie and stumbled down from his dune of sand. Naru sniggered at this, but helped him up to a sitting position. "Thanks," Obito mumbled in embarrassment.

"No prob'," the blonde said with a grin. She sat next to him, leaning back on her arms, and stared up at the twinkling moon. It was quiet for a few minutes before Naru called out, "Ne, Obito."

"Yeah?" the brooding teen responded dully.

Not withdrawing her gaze to the sky, the blonde spoke wistfully, "Sometimes...I'm glad to be able to live like this."

"What do you mean?" he inquires curiously.

Rocking sideways back and forth from where she sat, Naru explained while omitting most of her past, "Before…I never knew there was so much..._warmth_. But then, Ero-sennin popped up into my life. After him was Kakashi, Sakumo-jisan, Minato-nii, Kushina-nee, Gai, 'Tachi-chan, Asuma, Anko, and our other friends."

Obito made a noncommittal noise in response.

Naru smiled. "You know...I was very glad to meet you too, Obito. You're one of my best friends!"

"M-Me?" the boy wondered while pointed an incredulous finger at himself. "Why me?" he asked with furrowed brows, "I-I'm not that smart, I'm not that great of a ninja, I do stupid things, and-and-" But his teammate stopped him with a headlock and a noogie.

"You idiot, I don't care about that. You're my friend, and friends watch each other's back, right?" Naru chides firmly.

"I guess," Obito replies, rubbing his throbbing noggin with his hands.

"No! You don't 'guess'! You have to pick yes or no!" the blonde said with a frown. "Besides, someone told me something similar, once."

"Told you what?" the boy inquired with a tilt of head.

"Well...I once acted just like you did earlier. I thought I was an idiot, I wasn't a strong ninja, I messed up a lot, I wasn't worthy of leading anyone, and many other dumb things." Naru elaborated as she counted on her fingers.

Obito gave her a skeptical look.

"I'm serious, Obito," the time traveler said. "But... 'That person' didn't seem to agree with me. He cut me off in my rant by ruffling my hair, and said something like, 'I trust you... I don't believe I've misjudged who should carry on my legacy'...That moment, I felt so _happy _inside. I was _so _happy that 'he' said that. To the Me who I thought was stupid, a failure, and a clown...he had such faith in me that I wanted to cry." Naru's pupils glistened at the memory, and she smiled up at the moon with a joyful crease in her eyes.

"Then...what happened after that?" Obito asked curiously. Would he feel the same as she did if someone told him they believed in him, too?

Shrugging her shoulders, Naru replied, "He passed on, but I never forgot that day. The Me that loathed myself suddenly felt lighter, and I was- and I still am- confident in my abilities to survive and lead... The Me that was so lost and fragile had found peace within myself, and I became the person I am today." Looking thoughtful for a moment, Naru mumbled nostalgically, "That person...he seemed to like it when I smiled. 'She' seemed to like it, too... Wonder why I never notice before?"

"Huh?" Obito wondered uncomprehendingly.

Shaking her head negatively, Naru replied with a grin, "Nothing. I just remembered something about that day." Then, she suddenly became serious and her eyes glinted sharply under the moonlight. "Obito, why did you become a shinobi?"

Disturbed by the abrupt change in mood, the boy asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"Just 'cuz," Naru said vaguely.

Scratching his head sheepishly, Obito answered, "At first, I wanted to show everyone that I could be a great ninja, and that I wasn't someone anyone could spit on. But now...it's..._different_."

"How different?"

Unable to explain it properly, the boy could only say, "Like...I don't care who likes me or not anymore. I only care about protecting my home, my friends, my family, and maybe the mission... Err, for example, I don't like it when people insult Sakumo-san behind his back. I really wanna' beat 'em up for disrespecting a hero like him. I want to protect everything that's important to me."

Naru smiled at the familiar response, and playfully ruffled Obito's hair. "Good answer!" Squishing his face between her hands, the blonde told the boy soberly, "Never, and I mean NEVER, forget that, Obito. If you doubt yourself, you're just running away and taking everyone else down to Hell with you. You are not the first, and definitely the last, to feel this way. I want to protect my precious people, too. I don't believe that anyone's truly alone in the world; so don't go emo on us Obito, or I'm gunna' kick your ass."

Leaning away from her hold, Obito grinned. "Like hell am I gunna' run away! Bring it on, midget!" Naru returned the grin with equal fervor.

Under the friendly moon, Obito and Naru bumped fists in a silent oath to one another.

* * *

**End of chapter, but here's a little peace offering.**

* * *

**WINTER HOLIDAY SPECIAL: GINGERBREADMAN INVASION**

A door banged against a wall, notifying Naru that Obito had arrived.

"You're _not_ late!" the blonde girl exclaimed in shock. Was this the sign of an apocalypse?

The Uchiha scion scowled playfully. "Ha-ha, very funny Fishcake." Then, he trotted into the small, apartment kitchen, bouncing of the walls in quick excitement. "So, so! What are we makin' today!"

Naru gave him an incredulous stare. "Did you eat any candy before you came?" she asked accusingly.

Obito had the cheek to grin for a moment. "..._No_~?"

His friend gave him a glare.

In order to defend his cause, the Uchiha made extravagant motions with his arms, saying, "B-But, b-but! I couldn't _help _it! If someone's gunna' leave a bowl of sweets _unattended_, mind you, _of course _that's just telling me to _eat it_! The candy canes were just BEGGING me to eat them! It'd be torture to NOT take 'em!" Naru rolled her eyes at the drama.

But transforming his features to seem reproachful, Obito added in shamelessly, "You wouldn't want to disappoint the sugar fairy, would you? She'll be so sad if her wonderful, delicious, mouthwatering creations weren't living to their fullest potential; especially since it's Christmas time, _Naru-chan_."

With a deadpan face his friend replied flatly, "I'm quite sure the candy couldn't 'live' to their fullest potential in your _stomach_, _Obi-chan_," she made sure to emphasize the boy's old nickname as he did with her. "Rather than 'live,' the sweets are 'dying' towards extinction because of your gluttonous sweet tooth."

Obito cried fake, dramatic tears and waved a mock-angry fist in the air. "Why do you have to ruin my childhood like that, you old hag!"

A vein popped on Naru's temple. "What childhood?" she muttered irately.

"What are you two _doing_? I thought this was supposed to be a peaceful day together," Rin said from the kitchen doorway. Kakashi was standing behind her, looking very much like he didn't want to be anywhere _near_ the small group. Alas, both his father and sensei had ganged up on him to give up training and...'hang out' with his team for a day. It'd be no wonder how _that'll_ turn out.

Perking up at their friend's voice, Obito and Naru stopped their bickering to greet both of the newcomers. Of course, Kakashi and Obito had their traditional 'dope' and 'bastard' round, which was quickly ended by Rin and Naru punching them on the head.

In the end, it was quiet in the kitchen; the only sounds being the preparations of a holiday specialty. Luckily for Obito, he had found a peculiar 'fairy dust' container that said it would make the gingerbread men taste 'magical,' and he just _had _to add it to the batter. Despite being ninjas, no one else noticed the extra 'ingredient' entering the mixing bowl.

* * *

*Ding*

"Oooh! Let me get it! Let me get it!" Obito chirped excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he sprinted to the oven. Surprisingly, he didn't forget the oven mitts when he took the cookie trays out, and reverently set the finished masterpieces onto the kitchen counter. He just stared at the wonderful pieces of art, drooling slightly at the delicious smell.

"Obito," Rin began.

The Uchiha didn't seem to have heard anything.

"Obito," his crush repeated, faltering for a second in worry.

Again, the boy was silent and immobile.

"Oi, Obito!" Naru yelled, directly in his ear.

Finally, he jumped in surprise, whirling his head back and forth going, "What! What? Where's the fire!" Then he noticed the three annoyed people behind him. "Er... Could you repeat the question?"

Huffing exasperatingly, Rin lightly pushed the boy away from the counter so that she could add last minute touches to the gingerbread people.

*POP*POP*POP*

The ninjas all turned their heads to see gingerbread man after gingerbread man literally 'pop' into life, each human-shaped cookie standing on their feeble legs with frowns made of icing.

"What the hell?" Kakashi murmured under his mask, his eyes widening at the sight of 'real life' cookie people.

Naru on the other hand, merely scratched her head with quirked brows and said, "Damn... Well, that's new."

Obito nodded vigorously in agreement and whistled with an impressed tone. "Man, I didn't think the 'fairy dust' actually meant the word _magical_."

His friends turned to him and exclaimed loudly, "WHAT!" almost making the boy stumble where he stood.

Rin grabbed the collar of the Uchiha's shirt and shook him fiercely. "You IDIOT! Obito, you don't add strange things without knowing what it does! Look what you've done, you reckless boy!"

The gingerbread people all gathered around each other and glared at the ninjas nearby. "Enemies! Monsters! We must defend ourselves! They are beasts! Carnivores!" exclaimed a squeaky, male voice. The other cookie beings shouted their agreement in their equally high pitched voices.

Naru thought it sounded hilarious and almost had a seizure of laughter. Kakashi thought it was only adequately funny, finding it more alarming that the blonde girl next to him was becoming very blue.

Steadily becoming nauseous, a swirly-eyed Obito replied shakily, "B-But I didn't think i-it actually m-meant it, Rin. There's no such thing as magic."

Kakashi scoffed at that. "Moron. We live in a world where there's talking summons, people spitting fire and water, and mutant creatures that run about all over the continent. What makes you think there isn't such a thing as magic?"

The rest of the teens blinked owlishly. Then Naru asked the question the others wanted to know, "Er...so magic DOES exist?"

The annoyed Hatake heir felt like hitting the lot of them. If there are priests and demons, why not magic? Was that really difficult to understand?

Then, Obito got really curious and got very close to examine the closest gingerbread man standing.

*slap*

"Ow!" the boy yelped, massaging his red cheek. "You slapped me!" he exclaimed, pointing accusingly at the cookie.

"Enemies!" the tiny 'man' squeaked with a hiss.

The other confections gathered around their comrade and chanted, "Enemies must die! Long live Gingerbread Men! Enemies must die! Long live Gingerbread Men!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes at the scene. "Nice going Obito. I never knew you were stupid enough to get slapped by a _cookie_; and you're supposed to be a _ninja_."

"It's not just a cookie; it's a _MOVING_ cookie! Geez Kakashi, get it right you bastard," the Uchiha retorted seriously.

Fortunately, the gingerbread men interrupted their moment by jumping off the counters to wreck havoc in the kitchen- mainly opening cabinets and cupboards to throw ammunition.

"Holy shit!" a freed Obito shrieked, paling at the copious amount of cookie people running around the small area. How did twenty gingerbread men suddenly become _fifty_?

"For once, I agree with you Obito. How did they multiply so quickly?" Rin replied with wide eyes.

No one responded to that. Kakashi immediately jumped out the window to go ask his father and sensei for assistance, taking Naru and a gingerbread man with him for evidence. Plus, Obito was too _busy _counting how many edible humanoids there were for his own, mysterious purposes...most likely to see how much he could eat.

Noticing that they were one biscuit-comrade short, the gingerbread men screamed, "Emergency! The foul creatures have taken our brother hostage! We must get revenge!"

Many of the confections screamed, "Revenge!"

But others tried to scratch their crumby heads, asking, "Which brother? We have over two hundred of them."

Obito commented conversationally, "You know, for magical beings, they're not really that bright- HCK!"

A hysterical Rin grabbed the boy by his collar again and screamed, "DO SOMETHING! IT'S YOUR FAULT THIS HAPPENED!"

A suffocating Obito garbled out his response. "Iph okay R-Rin. 'K-Kashi 'n N-Naru's gettin' h-help."

* * *

In the Hatake estate, Sakumo, Minato, the Sandaime, Fugaku, Mikoto, Itachi, and Kushina were all having tea when Kakashi ran in with an annoyed Naru and a cookie. "'Tou-san! Minato-sensei! Obito's made a huge mess again!"

The adults sighed resignedly while Itachi's eyes lit up at the sight of his idol. Even without his partner in crime the oddball Uchiha managed to turn the world upside down by himself. Rubbing a tired hand against his temple, the Third asked, "What did he do, Kakashi?"

Freeing herself from her childhood friend's grasp, Naru grabbed the struggling cookie and said, "This, Hokage-jiji."

She placed the mobile gingerbread man onto the table, and it started ranting, "Demons! Monsters! My brethren will avenge me! May the Muffin Man burn your _souls_!"

Reminiscent of a past action, Minato scratched his head and said, "Damn... Well, that's new." Fugaku agreed with a quick nod, warily eyeing the odd confection that screamed at them all.

Mikoto and Kushina began cooing at the 'cute' cookie, taking turns prodding and poking its sides. It only made the gingerbread man angry, but that didn't faze the women at all.

"Adults are weird," Naru commented with a freaked out expression on her face, hugging a giggling Itachi in her arms to say hello. Then the toddler turned his head to glare at Kakashi in greeting, who returned it with as much dislike.

Sakumo and the Third raised their brows to say, '_Like you're one to talk. You're actually in your twenties now._'

Kakashi answered the blonde teen, "Mah... Ninjas all have their peculiar quirks and hobbies. You're a ramen addict. Minato-sensei's a Fuinjutsu nut and his fiancée's a temperamental ogre."

Kushina hissed angrily, "WHAT'D YOU CALL ME!"

Calmly directing her ire elsewhere, the genius said, "Don't be mad at me, Kushina-san. Jiraiya-sama's the one who told everyone to call you that."

Irrationally, the act worked, and Kushina went out to confront an unfortunate pervert. "Kushina, wait!" Mikoto cried out worriedly, running after her temperamental friend.

Naru looked at the door for a moment and commented thoughtfully, "You know, I feel sorry for Ero-sennin."

Kakashi raised a questioning brow. "Why the sudden change of heart? You never cared before."

Sitting on the floor with the toddler in her lap, the girl replied sheepishly, "Well, yeah, but it's _Kushina-neesan_… Don't get me wrong; I'm still the best prankster in the world," the masked boy scoffed at that, "but Kushina-neesan can get...'mental' with revenge pranks than I could ever try. I've got moral codes." Others were very skeptical at the words 'moral codes'.

"Would that moral code of yours happen to do anything with the stone posterior on the Hokage Mountain?" an angrily veiled Sandaime asked. They still hadn't figured out how to cover up the damn monstrosity yet, so Konoha's reputation was about to go down the drain.

Naru went slack jawed in shock. "Oh, come on! It was just ONE time, and you're holdin' it against me for months! Not cool, Hokage-jiji!"

"That was _you_?" a stunned Kakashi exclaimed with wide eyes. He had been out on a mission when that…prank occurred, and never really bothered to find out who did it because he was so busy back then.

"Me AND Obito," the girl responded proudly with a nod.

Minato tried to look disappointed, but his lips were twitching in amusement. "Naru, it's not ethical to deface our monuments like that. What will clients and other villages think of us now?"

Still going with her outlandish principles, the mini-me said, "They'll think that our ninjas are creative and not jackasses with sticks up our butts."

Minato sighed. "When will you stop cursing, Naru-chan?"

"Uh...never?" she replied with uncertainty.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "It was a rhetorical question, you idiot."

"Ahem," Sakumo coughed, interrupting Naru from snapping back. Everyone present turned to face the Hatake Clan Head. With amused eyes he said, "As entertaining as it is, we have an issue to deal with," jerking a thumb at the angry gingerbread man on the table. Amazingly enough, the only reason the gingerbread man hadn't escaped was because Fugaku was unofficially appointed cookie guard duty, and because Itachi was watching its every move like a cat with catnip.

Suddenly, a chuunin messenger arrived and sheepishly informed them, "Sandaime-sama, there's a big problem. An innumerable amount of gingerbread men have made their way throughout the village, creating traffic and inconveniences for the public. Cutting them up with knives just seem to make them multiply, and it's dangerous to use jutsus because they won't keep still or they'd duplicate again. Your orders, sir?"

"Well...shit," Naru said, feeling stumped by the situation.

The Sandaime sighed and told the chuunin, "Have the T&I department figure out what makes the...nuisances mobile and multiply. Have them work with the research department to find how to stop the...gingerbread men. For now, try to gather all of the confections in one large area, and secure the perimeters. ANBU are to be kept on guard duty, seeing as jounins should have enough skills to capture mere...cookies."

"Hah..." the chuunin replied with slight discomfort. So much trouble over _cookies_; Konoha will become a laughing stock to other nations by tomorrow.

Standing up to dance on the balls of her feet, Naru raised a hand. "Ooh, ooh! I got a suggestion!"

"What is it?" the Third asked warily. He had enough problems already without Naru wreaking havoc continuously.

Smiling deviously, the girl said, "Why not make the genins and academy students participate too? This situation is practically a D-rank mission, even civilians can do it with little problem. Or, or! Tag the cookies with catnip and loose Tora on them!"

Everyone stared at her incredulously.

Finally, the Sandaime responded resignedly, "Yes to the first, and no to the second. I doubt the Madam would let her 'precious Tora' do 'commoner work'."

"Aw~," a disappointed Naru pouted. It would've been great entertainment, too!

* * *

In a dark and ill-lighted room, a cage of gingerbread men huddled angrily against the bars to see their comrade get tortured by the interrogators.

"This is degrading, senpai," a male chuunin told Gemna. The chuunin taped a gingerbread man down onto a tray, and held tweezers above its gumdrop naval. Mysteriously, the victimized hostage pooped himself brown icing; not that any of the ninjas wanted to know if it was really just 'icing'.

Twirling the senbon in his mouth, the bandana teen said with a sigh, "It can't be helped, rookie. Hokage-sama's orders...no matter how ridiculous they are. Besides, the most harm these things can do is giving us indigestion." But, he too, thought his current assignment was insulting his superior skills. On the Sandaime's orders, a team of 'specialists' were gathered to find out what made these abominable pieces of pastry tick, and how to 'kill' all of them. Personally, the Shiranui just wanted to have all the Akimichis gorge on the confections; it'd save Konoha a lot of resources and time.

Raido came into the dank room with another cage of moving cookies and grumbled, "Lucky ANBU jerks. They get _actual_ guard duty while everyone else runs around like headless chickens."

Genma frowned in agreement. "Dude, that's just not fair. Since when did the ANBU get priority?"

Setting himself in a vacant chair, his friend replied irately, "Ever since the village established Code Orange1010, remember?"

Face lighting up with recognition, the senbon chewing male rubbed his chin and said, "Ah... It's all coming back to me now."

Raido snorted. "Of course it's coming back to you; you were _there_. Hell, even I was there; in the middle of it all." Then he grimaced. "It wasn't a pretty way to go; I'm glad Naru's on our side. Poor Hunter-nins; they've been totally traumatized."

Genma nodded, while the rookie chuunin from before was confused. "Uh...s-senpai, what's Code Orange1010?"

Massaging his neck, Genma answered with a twitch of lips, "That's the code for Namikaze Naru's pranking sprees. Ever since she arrived, the number of 'jokes' went up by 35%, and only the ANBU seemed to be able to keep up with her... Well, that's if you don't count the Hokage, the Sannin, Hatake Sakumo, and Namikaze Minato in on it." Scoffing at the ridiculous rule, he commented grumpily, "Naru's been bragging how _awesome _it was to get her own ANBU code at the age of five, and wouldn't shut up about it unless there's ramen in front of her."

Stretching out the kinks in his body, Raido stood up from the chair and said, "Well, whatever. We've got work to do. Pass me the tweezers would you?" The chuunin gladly handed over his 'torturing' device, and stepped away from the table.

"Alright! I'll talk!" the frightened hostage shrieked loudly.

Its fellow gingerbread people protested vehemently from their prison. "No! Don't do it!"

"Bread traitor!"

"Don't you dare tell!"

"What happened to Scout's honor, you jerk!"

"Disgraceful milkblood! You are no kin of mine!"

"I hope the Muffin Man eats your soul!"

Genma snickered at some of the words. "Hey Raido, for enchanted food, this is one hell of an entertainment."

Slapping his friend's head, Raido rolled his eyes. "Enough!" he barked, and went over to grab the hostage's gumdrop with the tweezers.

The captive squeaked, horrified, "NO! Not the gumdrop BUTTON!"

This time, the chuunin commented, "Senpai, why don't we leave the interrogating to Morino-san? Everyone knows that his clan is more talented in this field; he can be very intimidating when he wants to."

"I doubt that man will want to waste his time with this," Raido answered, frowning at the unfairness of it all.

Genma rolled his eyes. "And _we_ do?" he bit out sarcastically. "We better get paid for this crap. I refuse to do this shit for free."

* * *

In the streets of Konoha, an endless sea of gingerbread people had swarmed the area, high pitched voices commanding miniature slings to launch sticky candy corn and blobs of honey and syrup from the roofs.

"Comrades, we must defeat the humans! Unite!"

"Hail Commander Breadstick! Defeat the humans!"

"Attack my brothers! Banzai!"

"Look! That human has milk in his hands! Fire!"

* * *

Somehow, with lots and lots of teamwork, Konoha was able to fill a gigantic bowl with milk to dump the gingerbread men into. Of course, the invaders tried to resist, but alas, the enemy was superior in strength, _height_, and numbers.

Once all cookies were accounted for, Obito dumped the rest of the 'fairy dust' into the bowl with relief. "Good riddance," the boy grumbled, looking at his disheveled hair and sticky clothing with distaste.

Just as he walked back to his team, the bowl suddenly started trembling, and an enormous, brown sludge monster erupted from the essence of milk and cookies. "**ENEMIES! HUMANS! MUST. KILL.**"

Every Konoha citizen gawked at the deformed creature. Turning their glares towards the boy who cause all this, Team Minato and Friends exclaimed furiously, "_**OBITO!**_"

"I'M SORRY!" he yelled fearfully, running away from the scene as fast as he dared, leaving his unfortunate comrades to deal with the damage.

* * *

**Sorry I was so late! I felt like catching up with reading fanfiction and kind of forgot I had my own to write.**

**I can't believe Neji freakin' died! I kind of liked Neji.**

**I also got the 'bread traitor' idea from **_**Harry Potter**_**- 'blood traitor'. It sounded funny. I added some **_**Shrek**_** elements in this as well. Morino-san isn't Ibiki; Ibiki's not the Head Interrogator yet.**

**OMG! This is like...the longest chapter I've every written in history! My fingers are so numb from the cold and my nose is runny.**

**DON'T FORGET THE POLL!**


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